Hello, fans. Remember the first Eclipse? Apparently, that wasn't enough for you. SO! I'm writing the second story. This is for all the fans who are crazy (or not so crazy) for this story. And for those who are playing catch up, you might want to read the first Eclipse. Just click on my author name and then the story Eclipse. C'MON, IT'S ONLY 35 CHAPTERS! …
sssssssssss
There was a smug look on the Irk in the middle of the stage. Normally a trial such as this would warrant less press coverage, a crowd or the regal audience of the Tallests themselves, but this was a trial never conducted before. The trial now being surveyed and reviewed was in place to determine whether or not ZiM, formally known as a failure, was a fit guardian for the newly discovered smeet he had been protecting.
ZiM was in the center stage, his smirk never leaving his face and shuffled his feet a bit as the five control brains chosen for his evaluation debated among themselves on how to proceed.
The little Irk chuckled, "If you worry whether ZiM's amazing PAK brains will turn you into your crazy predecessors, ZiM will promise to be good."
The chatter among the control brains ceased and the middle one spoke in a booming voice, "Your actions against their sanity was deliberate?"
ZiM nodded happily, "Oh, yes. They were probing thoughts and memories that would potentially expose the existence of the smeet, but he is known now and there is nothing that ZiM needs to do in order to protect him from you or the Tallests."
The brain on the far left beeped in acknowledgment, "Your explanation is reasonable. But we shall still proceed with caution."
A pair of cables poked through the stage floors and the audience behind ZiM hushed. The Tallests' attention were now focused on the scene down in front, instead of the sack of donuts they had each received a few minutes prior.
ZiM grumbled and allowed the cables to attach to his PAK, the control brains now having full access to all the data he had.
One of the brains on the right piped up, "Your actions in the past are to be deemed invalid seeing as your behavior made a complete reversal once you encountered the smeet. However, if our decision cannot be swayed, your past will become a greater part of our final verdict."
ZiM nodded, "I understand. But ZiM is confident you will find nothing to warrant such an action."
The control brains only responded with a hum and their viewing screen became alight with the first memory ZiM had involving the smeet: spotting him from his hospital bed. It had been a strange and joyous realization for the planet Irk when ZiM had been hospitalized due to a strange illness shortly after the botched Impending Doom One plan. After he had 'recovered', ZiM had been sentenced to Foodcourtia.
The memory continued on, a little hazy seeing as ZiM was dying, but the crowd and the Tallests all watched ZiM sacrifice his body by giving his PAK to the smeet to save the strange child from being tortured by the hospital's doctors. After the hologram of ZiM from the PAK overtook the smeet's stranger attributes, the memory blanked out.
After a few moments, the control brains were able to reestablish the feed and a new memory overtook the screen.
There was the sound of sniffling and quiet sobbing. The area looked like an invader's dorm and it appeared that the smeet, now with ZiM's PAK as a cover, was sad to be in the living space of the Irk that had just died for him.
There was a soft confused, groan and the smeet whimpered, "H-hello? I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll leave if I'm not a'pposed to be here…"
ZiM's voice broke through a small silence, "… How is this even possible?"
The PAK suddenly detached from the smeet's back, returning the child's features back to his version of normal, and floated about the room, tentacles reaching out in confusion and anguish.
"ZiM lives!" it murmured hoarsely, "ZiM's PAK should be a useless shell by this point! Shut down was imminent!"
The smeet had backed away from the raving device and whimpered softly, "Choo?"
The PAK beeped and returned its focus on the little blue-eyed Irken, "Ah… ZiM apologizes…" it hovered closer to the smeet, "But you are safe now, yes?"
The smeet nodded, his lightning bolt-like antennae bobbing with him, "Uh huh… we got out an' I found out where you live… lived?"
The PAK looked about the room, "I suppose it's not much a life now, but this is acceptable for ZiM at the moment."
A tentacle from the PAK patted the smeet on the head, "You'll have to excuse ZiM, but the sudden reboot has corrupted a few files. You told the mightiness that is ZiM your name?"
The child smiled and giggled softly, "'m name's Eleven, r'member, ZiM?"
The PAK's shell zoomed right up to Eleven's face, "And how do you know the mightiest name of ZiM which that is ZiM?"
The smeet squealed and laughed loudly, not sure whether ZiM was serious or being playful. The PAK didn't seem to know either, since it simply hovered back a little to inspect the strange little smeet.
One of ZiM's tentacles picked Eleven up by the foot and hung him upside down to look him over, "Curious. You laugh when ZiM speaks to you?"
The smeet squealed louder and pulled his shirt up to hide his face as he continued to laugh. The PAK felt a whir of emotions as it watched Eleven peek out slowly from behind his shirt, his blue eyes much brighter than they had been when in the hospital, and giggled, hiding himself again.
ZiM decided cradling the smeet was much more logical than hanging him upside down and took Eleven into two tentacles to keep him stable, "Do you find ZiM something amusing?"
The smeet peeked back out again, but didn't show his entire face, "I like you. You're funny."
The PAK beeped as it processed the answer, "ZiM? Funny?"
Eleven nodded and pawed at ZiM, squeaking softly.
The PAK let out a small and happy sigh, "Well then," ZiM concluded, "it seems you will have to stay with ZiM for a while, now won't you?"
The smeet nodded and reached up to give the PAK a hug. And ZiM accepted it.
The memory ended and a few Irks in the crowd were clearly moved. But ZiM remained as he was on the stage. That was just one memory. There were still countless others that had to be found and reviewed. Some would be relevant, others superficial and that was what worried ZiM the most. The PAK had promised the smeet he would protect and stop the Irken Empire from finding and using him as a weapon, but with everyone not knowing that ZiM and Eleven were one in the same, he had been abused as though he had never changed.
The PAK could feel the sinking fear in his holographic gut and turned off his hologram, wanting everyone to think him bored rather than afraid of losing the one thing that kept him somewhat sane.
sssssssssss
Yeeeeeeeep… So, I'm back. Review, yada, yada, yada, and read the first Eclipse if you have NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON. Don't know when I'll be able to update, I have stuff goin' on, but nevertheless, I will try my hardest to… you know… post.