It was getting late, and Karnel had no idea what Bulma had accomplished with the cloning machine. He just hoped she hadn't created some kind of monster.
Knowing Bulma's tendency to get carried away with her experiments, Karnel feared she might have mixed genes from various animal blood samples and ended up creating something bizarre. With concern mounting, he teleported back to Capsule Corp.
Sure enough, as soon as he appeared in the backyard, he saw two strange-looking animals hopping around on the lawn.
"Rabbit legs, deer body, cat tail? What the hell is this thing..." Karnel muttered, his expression twisting in dismay. Thankfully, he hadn't brought back samples from aggressive creatures, otherwise, things could've gotten out of hand fast.
Spotting Karnel, Bulma ran over excitedly. "Karnel! I've thoroughly studied this machine. It's way ahead of the kind of tech we have on Earth. I'm confident I can build an improved version!"
"No. Absolutely not," Karnel said firmly. "If something like that spreads, the world could spiral into chaos."
"We could use it for good! This technology could be revolutionary!" Bulma insisted, eyes wide with idealistic energy.
"Think about the consequences..." Karnel began to explain the ethical risks and possible misuse of cloning technology.
Bulma looked a bit dejected but quickly tried to shift the mood, taking Karnel by the arm and gesturing toward the strange creatures. "Aren't they cute though?"
How is this cute? Karnel thought. Women really have different standards.
He pressed a hand to his chest, trying to suppress the discomfort in his stomach. He couldn't even look at the things anymore. Turning his eyes to Bulma instead, he forced a smile. "Yeah... very cute. I'll take them over to Master Roshi's place."
Before Bulma could respond, Karnel grabbed the two creatures by the neck and disappeared with a whoosh. When he returned moments later, his hands were empty.
"Where did you put those two?" Bulma asked with a hint of suspicion.
"I dropped them off with Master Roshi. Launch seemed to really like them, so I let them stay there," Karnel said, playing it cool.
Bulma narrowed her eyes. "Really?"
"Really! You won't be seeing them again. But hey, feel free to make a few more!" Karnel said with exaggerated cheer.
In truth, he'd destroyed the two unsettling creatures the moment he left Capsule Corp.
"Do you have any other biological samples? I want to see if the machine can produce something else," Bulma asked, her interest clearly reignited.
Karnel raised an eyebrow. "You want to keep testing it already?"
"Of course! There's so much potential for research." Bulma's voice trailed off as she turned toward the lab again. "I'll be in my room working on the time machine."
Karnel watched her leave, then turned his gaze back to the cloning machine. "At least she's focused on something else for now. Who knows what kind of chaos she'd cause otherwise."
An idea struck him, and with a flick of his wrist, a vial appeared in his hand. It was a small container holding King Cold's blood.
"Let's see what happens when I clone this," he said quietly to himself. "Of course, I'm not doing it on Earth… Just in case."
Moments later, Karnel arrived on a lifeless planet in a distant galaxy, a desolate world on the brink of collapse.
He set up the cloning machine and dropped a single drop of King Cold's blood into the input chamber.
"The rabbit brothers said loyalty can be programmed here... Alright. Done!"
The machine hummed quietly, and Karnel stood alone on the crumbling terrain, waiting in silence.
Durastar technology didn't disappoint. In just an hour, the machine stopped. Inside the tank stood a smaller version of King Cold.
The chamber opened, and the clone stepped out. He looked just like King Cold, though slightly smaller. Within seconds, his body grew rapidly until he matched King Cold's usual stature.
"Strange... His power level's only about ten million?" Karnel observed. That was far weaker than the original.
But then he noticed something. The clone's strength was slowly increasing. "Ah… The Frost Demon genes must be activating over time."
The clone stood silently as Karnel tested his energy.
Karnel concluded that the Durastar machine couldn't create energy from nothing. It could build a powerful form, but the clone's potential came from the latent quality of the genetic material.
"Number One," Karnel said, giving the clone a simple name. "Do you know who you are? Do you recognize me?"
Number One blinked, then replied, "I only remember my designation… and that you are my creator."
He looked around as if trying to process his surroundings, then threw a few experimental punches in the air. "I don't recall specific memories, but I feel powerful."
Karnel watched him carefully, considering the possibilities.