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[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 13: Dimension's End: Ultimanium, the First Jumper?!









Vegeta (VO)

Last time on Trance Trauma, Balkan got down on his knees and begged for forgiveness. As much as everyone sees otherwise, well... no one WILL see otherwise anymore if I have anything to say about it. After some pathetic pleading from Balkan, we entered his compound with resident whiner in tow to dig up what information we could about the the Trances and their origins. Everything went along smoothly and Eric even Tranced himself. If it's easy enough for that loudmouthed imbecile to perform perfectly on the first try, then I sure as hell will have to look into powering myself up.

Armed with what info we dug up, Ultimanium and the rest of the crew set out their final direction - to pilot the Argetlahm deep into space to the Exodus system, where the Van Eltia lied. If we can get there before Antimagnus, great. If we can't... well... anyways, several suspicious characters calling themselves Star Fox insisted that we stop off at the halfway point near a port colony called Mute City. Well, I can't argue, apparently this is set in stone judging from everybody's reaction.












< br> ********



Trunks gave one last look unto the lush landscape of grass beneath him, heaving out a sigh as the Argetlahm slowly began to rise off the ground. It had been two hours since leaving Gaia's Isle, and the perfect launch pad, far away from Magnopolitian influence and hilly, was discovered on the Argetlahm's nav charts. The bridge had since been evacuated while the remainder of the crew escaped into the bowels of the ship to make last minute adjustments and plans for the great voyage, leaving Trunks, and Goten spinning around in Ultimanium's swivel chair.

Trunks turned as a loud beep chimed from across the room, and the doors quickly parted. There was a sizable pause before Gohan stuck his head in. "...uh... hey, Trunks. Is Goten here? I need to talk to both of you."

Trunks frowned. "Uh huh. We're both here. What's the deal?"

Gohan slowly shuffled in, twiddling his thumbs. "...well, it's mostly about your entire being here. To make a long story short... well, neither me or Vegeta were entirely thinking that the situation with the Trances would be stretching out this long... we're ready to entirely LEAVE Earth for a long time... and..."

Vegeta darted out from behind Gohan. "We would think it best that you involve yourselves in this battle no longer."

Goten blinked. "What's the big deal?"

"We've been constantly having to pull you out of harm's way, and the nagging problem that you haven't actually DONE ANYTHING since you got here..." Gohan mumbled. "...you have to understand, we're beginning to get worried about you. Do you have any idea what kind of total crap I'd be in if I let you get killed...?"

"The same goes for you, Trunks," Vegeta continued. "If I had have known about this in advance, I possibly could have trained you... perhaps let you be a little more on guard... but I can't risk anything in this situation. We've already arranged with Ultimanium to escort you two home using the J3."

Trunks stamped his foot. "Nuts. I was beginning to enjoy this place. Promise me I'll be able to come back sometime?"

"This is the Argetlahm, SOMETHING'S going to have to go wrong eventually." Vegeta scowled. "Now, come along, we have to head home to that godawful hovel your mother calls a home..."

Gohan turned to Vegeta as Goten scrambled towards him. "Are you coming back after you drop off Trunks?"

Vegeta nodded. "You?"

"Okay, it's set. C'mon, let's get moving."



********



The hallways remained empty for a brief moment, before people began plowing down it and tossing open doors. People were quickly digging through their belongings, several crewmembers dashing back up to the bridge and other orifices of the ship with cameras and camcorders in tow.

"Primary ascent begun," Minonim bleeped out. "Estimated time until breach of mesosphere... twelve minutes."

Shaun frowned. "Yeah, thing sure as hell isn't the fastest in creation, huh..."

Locke grinned as he leant over, peering out the window over the landscape as it slowly fell below the view of the bridge. "Holy crap... I don't think I've ever been this high before..."

Crono nodded in agreement.

Cody squinted as the first traces of cloud cover began to fall past the ship. "Actually, come to think of it, we didn't actually leave Earth during the Ultramagnus campaign... guess I have no reason NOT to get all giddy..."

"I guess this is the next step towards the end..." Eric slumped down into one of the nearby command stations, sinking down into the chair.

Takato accordingly sat himself down in front of one of the computers opposite Eric. "Hey, did anyone see Ulty since the countdown started?"

Gohan shrugged. "I talked to him a bit about half an hour ago... but since then I haven't heard a word. Did anyone else happen to notice him?" Everybody exchanged stares. "...or.. did anyone happen to see Charmy for that matter?"



********



"Wooohooo! Someone answer me!" The morbid silence of the hallway was pierced suddenly by a loud call, and the uncerimonious scraping of Charmy's rollerblades against the hard-plated floor. Charmy shoved herself forward again, ducking underneath an outstretch of pipe as the bunks scrolled by her. She slid to a sudden stop to a door at the far edge of the hall, and shoved it open slightly. "Hey, what's the big idea? Everyone else's up on the bridge, why aren't you there? The view's great."

Ultimanium sat with his feet propped up on his computer terminal, arms folded and staring down at the ground. Various posters from video games and several music groups were posted above both the terminal and his dresser, but asides from that the room was far more plain than anyone else in the hall. "...It's not that spectactular... when you see it as much as I do, you'd agree."

"SOMEONE'S bummed out about something." Charmy pouted. Ultimanium glanced up to Charmy, an agitated frown showing through. "...what's the big deal lately? Ever since we went through Millenial you've been so... bleh. C'mon, we have the people we need, we should be able to do this, we just need an oppritunity..."

"It's not that." Ultimanium said flatly.

"Then what's the problem? C'mon, give me a sign here."

Ultimanium sat still for a brief moment. He turned back to Charmy. "I don't believe I've gotten this far into a conversation on this subject before... come to think of it, no one has even asked me that before..."

Charmy smiled. "Well, it can't be as bad as you make it sound."

Ultimanium's eyes seemed to dim briefly. He remained silent for a second, lowering his head again. "... I don't want to talk about it... and I'll never want to talk about it." Ultimanium muttered to himself, his voice deepening out of recognition.

"So many people... DAMN it, I wish she hadn't brought this up..."

"Earth to... huh?" Charmy waved her hand in front of Ultimanium, making his concentration snap. He suddenly looked back up, shocked, staring straight at Charmy's wide grin. "What's the deal? Hey, I'm not leaving before I get some talk out of you..."

Ultimanium remained still before looking up. "...no one's really asked me that question before, you know that? I was really hoping I wouldn't have to answer it again..."

"Again?" Charmy blinked. "So you'll tell me?"

Ultimanium sighed. "I don't have much of a choice, I'm guessing. For the last time, I am REALLY against telling someone like you because I know perfectly well you're the kind of person that would toss this around if we manage to get home as gossip. Soon, I would die out of public opinion... the Magnopolitian government knows everything about me... that's why the Argetlahm is where it is now."

Charmy leant down. "Go on."

Ultimanium scowled to himself.







--------






Cherryburg, New York
March 30, 1998





Keyvan sighed as he let his head lower, suddenly stopping as to not plant his face in a large puddle of spilt coffee, not even half an hour old by his watch. "...crap."

The rest of the small roadside diner around him was indulged in what people in small roadside diners usually partake in, either small travelling families struggling to keep their kids quiet while they decided whether to order fries or onion rings, large-built truckers laughing over large mugs of coffee, the constant ringing of the cash register at the far end of the room, and the shouts from behind the counter as part/full-time chefs threw prepared dishes around the restaraunt.

Keyvan slowly glanced behind himself, drumming the fingers of his hand not on the counter on his gun holster hanging off his belt. He turned back in time to see the familiar chime of the news update ring out of the small television supported from the celing.

"Tonight on News 8... an amazing find just miles outside of Cherryburg in New York state is currently being investigated by many of the world's finest qualified archeologists, in what many leading experts have termed the greatest technological advance of the century."

Keyvan frowned. No one else around him would have known it by looking at him, but he was right on top of history - or at least as far as you could get with a partial-post-secondary education, anyways. He was instructed firmly not to let the information out that he was a security officer, otherwise any unlikeables would target him first for information on exactly what was going on at the dig site.

The truth was, Keyvan had no idea what was happening.

His directions didn't go far beyond "see something, shoot it". In fact, though he was one of the highest ranked guards there, he didn't even have access to over a quarter of the compound. Sometime that was going to change. He was going to head in with a hacked security card and figure out exactly what the hell went on behind closed doors at Sherheim Excavations, and let himself be the judge.



********



Sherheim Mobile Compound
Day X, 2:12 AM



"Security door breach, level 1. All MP forces please report to sectors F through K for retaliation."

A single squeal of a siren ripped through the large campsite of the minor fortress. Keyvan grit his teeth as several heavily-armed officers ran about him. "This is..." He gasped, as he quickly dodged to the side as a cloaked figure brought down the butt of an AK-47 in a preemptive strike. Keyvan winced as he reached over and began to fight for control of the assault rifle. As Keyvan kicked the man in the groin and seized the gun, the intercom blared:

"Intruders repelled. However, several of their men have escaped into the facility. Find them, dead or alive!"

Keyvan growled as he slapped the back end of the gun viciously across the shrouded man's face several times, before knocking him to the ground below. Almost imediately, several soldiers charged up and picked up the man, kicking and screaming, and drug him off into the distance. As Keyvan swept his forehead, a larger man tossed open a manhole in the background. "Hey, everything safe now?"

Keyvan turned back. He stared for a while. "...Perry, what are you doing in the sewer?"

"...well, they told the scientists to take cover, and... never mind, it isn't important. Are they gone?"

Keyvan leant on the AK-47 in his hands, pointing the barrel into the moist dirt at his feet. "Yeah. Hey, I was on leave for the past week. When did all this start?"

"Two nights ago," Perry reached up and adjusted his glasses. "Sherheim Excavations got a funny unmarked letter, making threats unless they stopped the digs in Cherryburg. Some wacko cult, I heard... what were they, the Unity?"

Keyvan sulked. "Why would they want to stop the dig...? Especially when no one knows... what's... down there? Maybe they have some sort of idea?"

Perry shrugged. "Beats me. If they do then they probably have a better idea than I ever will..."

"Oh yeah, I was getting to that..." Keyvan dug in his dress shirt pocket, taking out a small silver-lined slip. "...I had my security card modded by some of the other camp workers. They said they wanted someone to head down to Level Delta and see exactly what the hell Sherheim was scraping up here. If the officials figure out what's going on, though... it could be a 20-year sentence for me."

"Are you sure going down there's the best idea in the world?" Perry scoffed. "You know what kind of credentials you have... the least they can do is kick you out, and there's not much else you're qualified for..."

"I'll watch my step..." Keyvan paused as a small shower started overhead, gradually beginning to bead the ground in front of him with moisture. "...I'll probably be heading down later tonight, while maximum-security level is a bit lighter."

Perry nodded. "Mind if I tag along?"

"Only if you're content with being thrown in the slammer."

"And you're any different?"

"I am security elite, Perry..." Keyvan glanced off towards the large winch seated above the 50-foot wide hole in the distance. "If they see me down there, I can just say the Unity was escaping down there. They'll see security having more reason to go down than an archaeologist."

"I don't know about everything..." Perry spat. "It just seems logical that I head down there as well... I don't know, it's something driving me..."


---
That was my first, and greatest, mistake.
---


"...I guess..."



********



Two hours later, with the rest of the camp under the watchful eyes of military police and curfew crew, Keyvan and Perry found themselves trudging through the dank caverns underneath the Sherheim compound, Keyvan leading slowly through the darkness with flashlight in hand. Perry crept along at a snail's pace behind him. A long trek downwards through a maze of mine elevators led them to the checkpoint - where the tunnel would normally have continued was blocked by a large, steel wall, with a small door at its base, and a corresponding card scanner.

Keyvan looked upwards at the vast maze of pipes, pumps and control computers. "...well, I guess this is it..." As Perry slid backwards, Keyvan advanced on the door, stopping at the card scanner ejected itself from the wall, latched onto a small mechanical arm.

"Please provide your Sherheim ID number."

Keyvan grit his teeth as he quickly swiped the card through the scanner, causing it to bleep and whirr as the recorded number slid across the screen. "...c'mon.. c'mon.."

"...ID check successful. Please proceed." The small door suddenly slid up, revealing another tunnel beyond, that began curving downwards near the horizon.

Keyvan glanced back to Perry, tilting his head toward the opening. Both men slid towards the small opening and through it. "I guess this is it... say, who exactly are the people who have access to these parts of the mines normally?"

"Sherheim's shareholders," Keyvan responded. "I don't know why the hell they'd be the ones permitted down here, though... the person I got this card from said they found one that was left in the break room, so they made a copy of it."

As the tunnels burrowed through the earth further, the surroundings around the two workers began to change gradually from the plain, compressed-dirt-walls to catwalks, with giant pistons and energy tubes situated beneath them. A long half-hour trek finally placed themselves at another entrance. Perry and Keyvan leant themselves against the wall on opposite sides of the opening.

"Ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"To see the heart of Sherheim."

"Better late than never."

Both of the subjects hopped forward and hurled themselves through the door. Both their eyes' went wide.

They stood in a great, vacant chamber. At the very center, admist what seemed like hundreds of smaller computers, was a small laser scanner on an arm, sweeping up and down over a large green tablet suspended from the celing. Bizarre, ancient writing was sprawled across the artifact.

"What the..." Keyvan slowly began to slide forward. "What is this?"

"Hell if I know," Perry said, raising his glasses. "but take a careful look... that language... is Zeal. The absolute oldest recorded civilization on the face of the earth. They had the rights to many of the most bizarre inventions of their time... they say that the original designs for the government-run test time machines were from original Zeal blueprints..."

"All that and a bag of chips, poindexter."

Keyvan quickly looked up. "What the hell...? Is that?"

Up on another catwalk high above the computers stood a tall, built man in a business suit. He had his hand high, twirling his mustache. He stopped for a moment, letting out a deep chuckle before leaping completely over the guard rails, and performing a flip before landing on his feet on the ground below with an echoing clang.

Perry's pupils shrunk. "Mr... Mr. Sherheim!!"

"Well met, Keyvan Chandonnet... Perry Owen... you know, I must commend you for being able to make it down here in one piece. If that stupid government official never lost his keycard... even if you got down here and were caught by a single guard, you would have been shot on the spot. But since you're already here... that's not an issue. Take a look ahead, fellows... maybe you're at a loss as to what this contraption is?"

Keyvan sulked. "All I know is that it could make one hell of a espresso. Is this one of your world monopoly plots again?"

"Oh, I assure you, this one is a bit more... on MY behalf than my company. You set your eyes upon the greatest technological achievement mankind has ever dug out of the ground... keep in mind, the Zeal themselves never even bothered to make a valid use of it because of it's 'danger' factor... but that makes it all that better. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm pround to present the Dimensionsplitter."

Keyvan shrunk. "Dimensionsplitter? Okay, I'm taking that as a BAD thing. Tell me, Sherheim, exactly how much reading did you do on this subject?"

Sherheim let out a deep laugh. "Keyvan, you might not have known it being a late bloomer on the site, but this archive of the Zeal was found two days after we started digging here. For the past two months, we've been running closed experiments on this technology. We kept the 'mining' going to not attract attention. Regardless, you two have impeccable timing. With the Unity watching us at every turn, we've decided to push the clock forward a bit... we are going to begin the first field test of our prototype dimensionsplitter, the "J", in the next two hours."

Keyvan lifted an eyebrow. "Perhaps we don't WANT to be guinea pigs."

CL-CLI-CL-CLIC-CL-CLI-CL-CLI-CLICK

Perry sweatdropped. In the period of two seconds, at least forty armed guards had leapt out of the open and held the two at gunpoint. "...can it be that bad?"

Sherheim chuckled to himself, shaking his head. "Tsk, tsk. I was thinking you two would ENJOY being basked in your fifteen minutes of fame, but I guess I was wrong. I mean, it beats paying people to do it. Guards, take these two away somewhere safe. I want them to be full of vim and vigor for the First Jump."



********



Sherheim Mobile Compound
Day X, 3:46 AM



Keyvan struggled to keep his head straight. As it stood, he and Perry had been awake all night, something Sherheim would never have allowed his labor workers to do. However, he had his own plans for Keyvan and Perry. Being swapped across the nose with a nightstick and having it sit still nearly broken didn't necessarily help, either.

"C'mon, this way." A guard dressed in a bright orange hazard suit stepped into the cell, ushering the two subordinates out of the chamber and down the hall. They were handcuffed on the way there and brought back out into the same chamber in which they had entered the futuristic research facility. There were stairs set up that climbed up to the overhead catwalk. Lined up on the thin walkway were another ten identifiable excavators from the site. Out in open air... hovered the J. Keyvan and Perry were shoved into place at the very end of the line, and forced to face the front.

Sherheim plodded in front of the line, arms behind his back. "Well. Welcome to the heart of Sherheim, fellows. Now, I bet you are all wondering what you're doing here. As it stands, my friends, we are moments away from another great mark in human history. I am proud to present to you... the dimensionsplitter, J! Now, I hear from many of you that you FEAR this great new step. Well, you can stop, because using this great device, you will be able to head to a world beyond your wildest dreams! It isn't all bad, either. Upon returning, you will all be promoted and paid like kings! Now, is that such a bummer?"

Sherheim walked over to a large man on the end, with hands behind him as he picked the handcuffs. "I bet you would like that, Harbring, maybe you'd like to keep your family out of welfare. You'll be one of the richest men in Cherryburg, or New York for that matter!"

Sherheim paused, a devious grin forming on his face as Harbring broke the lock and threw his hands together at the man, roaring in anger. Sherheim caught the assault effortlessly, bending around and twisting the arm back. Harbring let out a cry of pain as he began to crumple. Sherheim's face rapidly deteriorated into a growl. "Just what I thought."

"You ain't gettin' away with this!!" Harbring cried.

"You are the Weakest Link. Goodbye." Sherheim sighed as he threw his arm out, toppling Harbring over the catwalk guardrail, letting him plummet at least forty feet to the hard, metal floor with a sickening clang. Harbring let out a gasp before his head fell back down, blood seeping from his mouth. "...well, then. We've gotten the disbeliever out of the way, so why don't we get this party started... begin the First Jump."



********



I don't exactly remember what happened after that point. Before Sherheim left the catwalk, another worker jumped him with a knife. Meanwhile, in the background, the countdown for the First Jump started at 30 seconds. I stood by and watched desperately as Sherheim and the other excavators fought, with security forces on both sides of us trying to break up the fight. Perry didn't appear any different.

Workers at control panels on the other side of the room were frantically pulling levers and pushing buttons, manipulating the J.

"Destination set at maximum frequency. Stand by for primary dimensional breach."

Sherheim threw the remaining four people off of him with a bellow, each of them landing at different points on the catwalk. "Hah! Do what you want, you aren't stopping me now!!"

"20 seconds!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see one of the panel operators staring at the display blankly. He shook his head and went back to work.

"15 seconds!"

"Do you happen to have a reasonable idea where we're going...?" Perry murmured.

"Couldn't tell ya the least." I responded.

"10 seconds..."

Sherheim finally turned back towards the J, pulsing a purple glow. "Aha! Onwards to the next dimension!! Engage all systems!"

"9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2..."

Sherheim's eyes went wide.



********



"MAYDAY!! MAYDAY!! GROUND CREW, PROJECT J HAS EXPERIENCED A LEVEL 8 DISRUPTION FIELD!! REQUESTING ALL ELECTRICAL FORCE NECESSARY TO PIERCE..."

Keyvan raised his head from the ground. "What the hell... what's going on?.. why are we on the ground?"

"We fell..." Perry sighed. "I think my arm's gone, I can't feel it though..."

"Project J, you have been sent an EMP. Use it the best you can."

"Engaging EMP!"

Keyvan and Perry shrieked, as did Sherheim, as a shockwave of nova-white light sent them all rolling across the floor of the compound, and slamming them against the far wall. As the light settled, the entire chamber could be seen dumped in what looked like a purple smoke, being blown around by catastrophic winds.

"Field breached! Keep an eye on the readings... I have a feeling this isn't over ye... OH... SHIT!! LEVEL 12 DISRUPTION FIELD, INCOMING!! We need another burst here, god damn it!!"

"We don't have any juice left! We've just blacked out all of Cherryburg!"

"Well, what the hell DO we do?!"

Sherheim fell forward onto his knees, grasping his head before reeling back and letting out a bloodcurdling scream. Keyvan and Perry both winced as what could only be described as a 'force' pierced through them and delivered a sting all over their body.

"The turbulence is tearing us apart!! Where the hell are we?!"

"We're at the maximum level!! That's it, just turn us around!! Turn off the J, damn it, the dimensional bending should slingshot us back!"

"We'll have no idea where we're going, though!!"

"DO IT!!"




The last thing Keyvan saw was white.



********






"Whoa. .."

Keyvan shook his head. In that brief second, it felt like the very air around him was being torn apart. He could hear the cries and noise of a city around him seconds before it was overshadowed by a massive blast of air. As soon as the storm had started, reality itself in front of him stretched back into place. Keyvan was standing in the middle of a vast field of grass. "...what the hell? Where did the J take us...?" He waited for a response. He got none.

The first impulse was to cup his hands to his mouth and call. "HEY!! ANYONE HERE?!" he let the shout resound over the plains. Still nothing. Keyvan began to walk forward, but found his foot impacting against something solid. He looked down... and found a immobile body at his feet. It was one of the workers. His face was torn apart, and his chest was gouged beyond recognition. One of his legs was completely missing. "...oh... damn."

Keyvan turned quickly as Perry slumped over the hill, grasping his left arm as he limped forwards. "What the hell... where are we?"



------






Ultimanium lowered his head. "We were in the Fourth Dimension. Lost, thrown across the dimensional spectrum. The First Jump was initiated in the Fifth Dimension. The J managed to breach into 6D, but couldn't go any further. That's basic Zeal Dimensional Theory in action. The J had already caused massive damage to the barrier between 5D and 6D, so the command to let the dimensional turbulence throw it backwards sent it through backwards, rupturing the field even more. Paranormal events began occuring in both dimensions with greater frequency in the time we were gone."

"Meanwhile, we were stuck in 4D with no means of escape. We found a small town shortly after... and Sherheim's scattered remains. We survived on what we had though, and we soon got a job at a security firm in a nearby city. We were thankful that 4D and 5D were similar, save for the time-travel technology, otherwise we would have been completely lost. Time went on.. and on.. and on. I left 5D when I was nineteen years old, and we remained in 4D for about a year. In the meanwhile, me and Perry managed to scrape up funds for a small apartment, and that was where we made our home."

Charmy leant forward. "Then what?"

"That was when... Ultimanium came into play."





------



January 2, 1999





A small radio played soft rock in the background while Keyvan stumbled into the kitchenette, quickly slipping on a pair of oven mitts. He bent down, opening the small oven door and removing a sheet of chocolate-chip cookies, which he placed on the counter. He removed the gloves, sweeping them off. Perry, meanwhile, sat several feet away at the table, not moving his eyes from the television. Keyvan kept his eyes on the TV for a brief second... before the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Keyvan grumbled. He made his way over to the small door, still in his apron, and looked through the viewglass. Outside was standing a heavily robed man.

"...blind fundraising? Hell if I know..." Keyvan slid the door unlocked, and opened the door. "..uh, hey."

The man slowly raised his head, pushing back his brown hood. "...Keyvan... is that you?"

Keyvan blinked. "...do I know you?"

"Keyvan.. so it is you. I bring you tidings..."

"..sir, what's your business here..."

"... I remember it. I remember the J."

Keyvan stepped back. "Huzzah? What do you know about the J?"

"It is a long story." The man finally removed his hood, exposing a head and beard of silver hair. The man couldn't have even been in his fifties, however. "I am the government planner of sciences and mechanics, Narrin Aldur. I wish to speak to you, about the J. It is of the utmost importance."

"Disappeared in the crash. Good day." Keyvan attempted to shut the door but found Narrin holding it open.

"That's not my purpose here," Narrin sighed, forcing the door back all the way with surprising strength. "You are survivors of the J.. you may be able to provide us with help... you have both encountered an extremely dangerous situation upon interacting with the J... however, you have no idea how bad it is."

Perry looked over Keyvan's shoulder. "Ah, hell, let 'im in, we haven't had visitors for a week."

Both stepped out of the way as Narrin slid in. "The J... it is following its course just like we anticipated."

"Wha?"

"We had prophosized about this event outside of our dimension for years now. And it has just occured. The J has been activated, which spells the end of perfect dimensional stability within the Six Dimensions. Through Sherheim's tampering with the forbidden technologies with the Zeal, they have set Creation up for a greater struggle than has ever been dreamed of." Narrin seated himself slowly in a large recliner in the living room.

"..." Keyvan and Perry exchanged stares. "...okay, could you just get down to the point?"

Narrin looked up, his cold blue eyes piercing into both Keyvan and Perry's minds. "With the advent of J, nothing is held sacred anymore. If Sherheim is allowed to go on with the J any further... who knows what could happen."

"The J was destroyed in the First Jump," Keyvan responded. "We found pieces of the J after we'd touched down."

"Don't you get it?" Narrin shot back. "Information of this event stands the risk of being released to the public. If this regulation goes unchecked, dimensionjumping may be in the minds of the public, and it may be used as a weapon... and the stability of the dimensions will begin to cease. We need a force, a unit, to return to the Fifth Dimension and keep these thoughts and influences out of the public's eye until we can do away with the technology. That unit... shall be you two."

"Whoa, hold on a second," Perry spat. "I'm sure we'd love to be part of your little commando squad, here, but the truth of the matter is, we can barely defend ourselves. I mean, all Keyvan's got to his credit is his custom handgun..."

"...I'll tell you what YOU have going for yourself, bucko, a pile of LARD to absorb hits for you!" Keyvan scowled.

"Not now." Narrin murmured. Both his audience immediately loosened up. "Should you accept this mission, you will be provided powers to aid you in your quest. In the period of a short while, I will be on hand to teach you to fight, sneak and kill... in the Fourth Dimension, our methods of defense and attack are quite different from your home dimension... and far different. And it's not just limited to supersoldiers, either..."




------




"Two weeks went by," Ultimanium muttered. He turned to face the wall, examining one of his posters. "As hard as it is to believe, I started at a power level of 15. However, Narrin saw a possible scholar in me for his Ki fighting style, Regen."

Charmy twitched. "Regen?"

"Most Ki arts are based around the idea of experience. Basically, blow more stuff up, win more fights, use special techniques more often. Regen, on the other hand, is a sort of self-spreading Ki, building up inside a person to high levels based entirely on how often you can avoid confrontation and remain at peace. Consequently, when the case subject is placed in a do-or-die situation after a good forty or so years of this meditation, they can literally create Hell on Earth. However, each time someone does this, they take a small hit to their total power level."

Charmy nodded. "So you grow your own Ki. THAT'S why we never find you training."

"You should know me as a pretty mellow guy, and that's why Narrin immediately took a liking to me. I soaked up Ki extremely well, and in under those two weeks I had already boosted my power level up to 50,000."

"What about Perry?"

Ultimanium shook his head. "Perry... Perry, on the other hand, was extremely aggravated over Narrin's subtle means. At the mere mentioning of power from Narrin's announcment, he could hardly keep his patience with the slow going of Regen. Him and Narrin would constantly get into fights, until Perry decided he would leave Narrin's eye and receive training somewhere else. He got normal training somewhere down the street. In the end, his power level growth was extremely retarded, ending the training at 4,500."




------




Perry walked across the living room, dressed in a large-fitting yellow karate Gi. "'ello, losers. Get any more sitting around done while I was gone?"

Narrin sighed, passing Keyvan the remote. "Sure as hell did."

"It has been two weeks since I first started training you. We cannot waste any more time. We shall make plans of your leave some time during the next two days."

Keyvan nodded. "Alright, then. But there's just one thing that's bugging me about this entire situation..."

"Then ask."

Keyvan turned to Narrin. "Well, I don't really want to sound like an idiot, but it's just that... well... I don't exactly know how just two of us are going to keep watch on the dimensions. I mean, it just sounds like an undercrew to me. Is there anything direct that we have to watch out for?"

Narrin prepared to speak, but his eyes could be seen dimming.

Keyvan blinked. "Was it something I said?"

"...the prophecies spoke of one threat to your cause, as well as the root of the entire situation... those who will use the dimensionsplitters to their advantage in an attempt to rule Creation... listen well, for this is the only time I will tell you. There is one constant force spanning across the Six Dimensions that will hinder you..."

"Go on."

"They are... Magnusi."

"Magnus?"

"Six seperate beings, one on each dimension. They will rise up to take control of the dimensionsplitters, and to destroy you. They must all be destroyed for dimensional stability to ever return, or so it says in the scripture."

Perry scratched the back of his head. "We can take 'em."

"Don't be so cocky, boy. The higher Magnusi have the power levels to take out entire galaxies with their pinky."

Keyvan leant back in his chair. "Well, so, now what? We've been sitting around here, building up Ki... but what do we do?"

Narrin nodded. "We have reclaimed the parts from the destroyed J, and have been studying it for the past two weeks. I'm proud to say that our engineers have been able to rebuild it from the ground up with notable improvements... like NOT nearly destroying dimensions. It will be a safe passage between the dimensions... the J2. But listen close - whenever your mission is complete, return to your home dimension and DESTROY the J2 before anyone else can get their hands on it!"

Perry nodded. "Uh huh."

"For the effort, I have also secured you a medium-size destroyer-class cruiser for you to use in your adventures - U.S.S. Argetlahm."

Jaws dropped.

"We have a fucking FLAGSHIP?!" Perry exclaimed.

"You will need the room. I intend you to find allies on your adventures, build them into a force that can stop the influence of the J from spreading... you will go out and find these Chosen, get them on your side. Then you shall be ready for the task of finding the Magnusi."

Keyvan and Perry exchanged stares.

"Then let's do this."

"Hey, wait a minute, we're superheroes now!" Perry chimed.

"Get rid of the Magnusi and perhaps I'll give you the credit." Narrin muttered.

"Hey, Magnus, no Magnus, I'm stronger than 'em all! Hell, I'm better than the Magnusi itself! And whoever says anything else..." Perry laughed as he spun around, delivering a roundhouse kick into the air. "..can speak with me! I'm not a Magnus, no..."



-----




Charmy waited for a response.

Ultimanium bowed his head. "No. He was FAR worse..."




-----



"... I'm Ultramagnus!!"




-----




Charmy 's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. "YOU were training with ULTRAMAGNUS?!"

"He was an ally during the first phase of our operation. We spent a year cruising around the multiverse before we got down to work. The very first thing we did was attract combatants. We returned to the Fifth Dimension, and started a fighting tournament in New York, entitled the Ultimatum. It all went downhill from there..."




-----




He began pacing. "Anyone who knows me would know me as a fan of mainstream anime. Stuff on YTV, Fox, Cartoon Network,
yadda, yadda. My comrades believe that a massive crossover episode between some of these shows are far overdue."

He stopped, and pointed out into the crowd. "New York shall be the site of this crossover. As I speak, formal invitations
have been made out to casts of several primetime animes, and they will find their way here, New York, to conduct a massive
battle royal between episodes."

I stood and spoke. "So you mean one massive fight?"

"Correct. I wish only to film this and present it to the world. Which is why I present a message to the people of
New York - defend yourselves, for in the case any of you interfere with my grand plan, these people may be forced to
kill you."

An elderly man in a military uniform stood. "So we'll kill them first."

Ultimanium's eyes shot into a deep red glow. He punched his hand, sending a small gust of wind through the floor aisles.
"NO! Know if that you manage to destroy any participants, I will be forced to bring you down by my hand. And if I can't..."

A deep voice spoke up. "Then I will!!!"

Another figure dove out of the sky and landed on the stage with a shudder. This person was slightly more rotund than
Ultimanium, but at least he had proper clothing on. His hair glowed a pulsating yellow-gold not the likes I have seen.

Ultimanium glanced over. "Hey, Perry. Glad you could make it."

Perry gave a hats-off motion. "Glad to be of service."

"This is my fellow warrior, Ultramagnus," Ultimanium announced. "He is of a long line of Super Saiyan, superhumans with
great physical and psychic powers."



-----


"...Ultramagnus attempted to kill the combatants later during the actual tournament. I don't know why, I don't know how, but luckily the Chosen managed to repel the attack."


-----



"Can it!" Ultramagnus yelled. "This was a stupid plan from the start! I have no idea what the 'purpose' of bringing everyone here was! Especially the Daikari! That just FREAKS ME OUT!!"

Everybody in the audience oooohed.

Tai turned to Davis. "Hey, do you know what a Dakari is?"

Davis shrugged. "Beats me. I heard Kari though."

Tai slapped himself in the forehead.

"You can do what you want with the survivors!!" Ultramagnus said. "Until then, I unveil my wrath!!"

Ultramagnus lunged at Davis.

Davis froze. "Why do I NOT like this..."

"SPIRIT SURGE!!!"

A massive blue beam of light tore straight forward and enveloped Ultramagnus.

Ultramagnus -865 HP

"SHADOW SURGE!!!"

Another beam shot forward, even larger, black, and laced with purple lightning.

Ultramagnus -900 HP

"What's going on?!" Tai yelled.

Everybody remained still as the dust ahead of the group cleared. Ahead of them stood a near-dead Ultramagnus. He didn't look ... well.. good.

"Eeeewwww!!" Mimi winced. "His arm got blown off!!"

Ultramagnus dropped to the ground. "I ... can't believe this! What did I do for this?!"

Everybody looked up to the stage. Ultimanium's finger was outstretched and still crackling with energy. "Ultramagnus. You do not understand the tranquil struggle that is associated with my crusade. I'm afraid you're just not the right partner for me. Until you can learn to put aside your warrior ways and find your way to the Light - and fight only when truly necessary, you cannot pose a threat to me. You end here.

"Now... my last attacks... unleashed when one side of equilibrium upsets the other... when they are perfectly equal... that will be the eliminator of anything upsetting either end of the scale."

"...I don't think I'm going to like this." Cloud sighed.



SHATTERED REALITY!!!




-----


"Ultramagnus was tossed back. However, he seized control of the J2 and headed straight for the third dimension. That was the great war that eventually destroyed the third dimension."

Ultimanium sighed as he sat down. Charmy slowly lowered herself down to his level. "I knew you had some sort of influence on these events, but I never knew it would have been this deep..."

Ultimanium growled, throwing his fist down on the desk. The metal beneath his hands cracked into fissures, with Charmy instantly leapt back. "But look where we are now, Charmy! I'm right back where I started, with the earth... EVERYTHING being threatened by the last Magnus! If I had stopped Sherheim while I could, NONE OF THIS WOULD EVER HAVE HAPPENED!!"

Charmy grinned uneasily. "...c'mon, Ulty, it had to happen sooner or later..."

Ultimanium lifted his sore hand to eyesight, his lips beginning to waver. "I.. don't like dwelling on the past... mostly because I had so much influence on it... if I had even killed Ultramagnus while I had the chance, none of this would ever have to be my responsibility... billions of people wouldn'tve had to die at the bloody hands of Ultramagnus... and Antimagnus wouldn't have another dimensional form to draw life force off of... hell, he probably wouldn't have even Tranced!! I'm a fucking idiot for letting this all happen..." Ultimanium lowered his head, ending with a soft clunk on his metal desk. "...that's all there is to say. I would like to say I could... change... the p.. ast, but all that time-travel bullshit is long go..ne.. I guess I just have to leave things to the next generation.. you guys..."

Charmy's eyes dropped as Ultimanium's soft sobs began to break through. "....Ulty..."

"GET OUT!!" Ultimanium screamed, he brought up his palm, blasting a lancing beam of Ki at Charmy. Charmy shrieked as she brought up her wrist.. deflecting the blast.

Ultimanium lowered his hand, trembling. "..h-how..."

Charmy coughed. "..I-... I don't know... I absorbed some of your energy while you were in that coma, and... I don't know, it feels like I'm getting more powerful by the second..."

Ultimanium instantly broke down. "...no! Don't tell me you... CHARMY, NOW *YOU'RE* GOING TO TRANCE!! NO... NOO! HOW CAN I LET EVERYBODY AROUND ME GO THROUGH THIS... WHY?!" Ultimanium cried, slamming his head down against the desk again, this time leaving it there. "...why... why?...whyyyy..."

There was no more said on the subject. Charmy ran. She ran until the though escaped her mind.




"...this'll be over soon, Ultimanium," Charmy mumbled. "I'll make sure of it."








-----
NEXT TIME ON TRANCE TRAUMA...
Chapter 14: Magic Soldier, Craymel Knight Shaun Garin


We've all had our shares of memory lane in Ultimanium's monologue... but when no one seems to be taking the threat ahead of them seriously, it's Shaun himself that clues them in on exactly how dangerous the Van Eltia can be... first hand.



(A/N - More words of caution - the next chapter's going to be another slow one, but the one after that, I assure you, is going to have plenty of Smashing good fun ^_^ Just hang in there!)