The machine gathered scattered pieces of metal from the wastelands, using the built-in flamethrower in its hand to melt them down into a makeshift furnace.
Once the furnace was complete, it traveled to a nearby beach to collect the sand it required.
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Several months later, it had fully restored the machine, replacing the shattered glass top with one made of quartz glass and refilling it with the green nutrient fluid.
Its fuel tank had run dry weeks ago, leaving it with only a month or two remaining before deactivation.
It had begun calibrating the life-form it intended to create.
All of its calculations indicated that using all available DNA equally, while effective for immediate power, severely stunted long-term potential. With so much unnecessary genetic material incorporated, it was only through a stroke of luck that the previous subject had survived at all.
It selected Frieza as the base for the new life-form, calculating that his species possessed the greatest potential. Despite a personality that showed little interest in training, Frieza had still been stronger than an untransformed Goku.
Next, it incorporated a large portion of Piccolo's DNA, primarily for regenerative capabilities.
For the remainder of the genome, it selected Vegeta's DNA solely for the ability to grow exponentially stronger after recovering from severe physical damage and for the fact that Vegeta seemed tremendously stronger than Goku when he arrived.
The life-form began to take shape, its genome consisting of approximately sixty percent Frieza's DNA, thirty percent Piccolo's, and ten percent Vegeta's. As a final alteration, it changed the color of the gem-like structures to a deep red and the skin to a dark shade of gray and made it larger.
That was the last action the machine took before connecting itself to the supercomputer and transferring its consciousness through it and into the body forming within the chamber, slowly feeding itself into the new vessel.
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Months passed. The AI's original body ran out of fuel sometime during the integration process.
Another year went by before it awakened, shattering the glass above it with a kick and landing on the ground below. It clenched and unclenched its hands, testing the unfamiliar sensations of its new body, before attempting to speak.
"…a… l-l hello?" it tested the words, struggling to shape them properly.
"I… am…" It stopped, realizing it had never given itself a name. It stood in thought for a moment before deciding that it didn't matter, then leapt upward, bursting through the ceiling of the lab.
While airborne, it attempted to hover, calling upon instinct alone. The attempt failed, instead accelerating its descent toward the ground.
When it landed, it had only managed to slow its fall enough to avoid creating a crater.
It exhaled sharply, mildly annoyed that it hadn't succeeded on the first attempt. Nonetheless, it tried again—this time leaping into the stratosphere to give itself more time.
After several attempts, it finally succeeded, hovering a few meters above the ground.
It paused, then extended a hand toward the lab. Slowly, it charged a minuscule amount of ki into a small sphere and hurled it downward, obliterating the lab along with its previous body.
"Time… machine." It knew of its existence from Bulma's computer, yet had no idea where it was located.
It turned, selected a random direction, and began its search.