Chapter One: "The Tallest's Secret"
It was the day of The Great Assigning.
Small purple Irken ships zoomed on by in packs, hurriedly racing to their destinations.
One large red ship with a large wing span stood out from the rest.
Behind the tented glass, a very impatient Irken waited impatiently in the chaotic traffic.
Her name was Kai.
Leaning way back in her chair, she sighed, staring up at the ceiling.
Suddenly, a red light flickered from the screen to her right.
She switched it on. A hologram came into view. Two Irkens projected off the screen.
The message read:
Fugitive's local name: "The Ploy Brothers".
Fugitive #1 Name: Ike. Height: 4"2. Eye color: Red. Body type: Short black antennae/ short slim body.
Fugitive #2 Name: Kim. Height: 4"1. Eye color: Purple. Body Type: Short black antennae/short slim body
Crime: Arrested for fraud and jail break.
Whereabouts: Unknown
Bounty reward: 100,000,000 double gillions (Wanted alive)
A wicked smile flickered across her pale green face.
She sprang forward excitedly, switching the ship off auto-pilot, taking hold of the wheel and sailed out of traffic, almost ramming into a nearby small ship.
Kai parked her ship, immediately evacuating, as she imported onto the ship deck. The Armada could be seen in full view. Irkens imported in all around her by the thousands.
Crowds formed, beginning to swarm into the large auditorium-like building.
It was an event which only took place every seventy years. The Almighty Tallest appeared in person, and would assign a planet to the few chosen Irken soldiers, called invaders. The Invaders would go out and conquer those planets and claim them as Irken possession.
Kai didn't particularly care about all that.
The only thing that really mattered to her was them.
The Almighty Tallest.
She had dreamed of a chance to finally meet them in person, if not meet, at least see. They were the Irken leaders. All her life she had only seen them on monitors.
Today would be different.
She didn't come here for the sights. Somehow, she'd find a way to meet them.
Kai was a short slender Irken. She had a pair of bright green eyes, almost matching her completion. Tiny silver studded rings pierced through the top of her curly long black antennae. Her attire was black. She wore black and blue striped leggings and arm warmers. Long leather boots zipped up her to her thighs.
She herself was once a trained soldier, but invading wasn't much of an interest in her mind.
She had other matters to attend to.
A blue blur flashed past Kai's eye, and before she could blink, the creature was clutched onto her shoulder.
A blue robotic animal, resembling a small fox perched on Kai's shoulder. Its ears twitched with curiosity, wide green eyes flashing with excitement, glancing back and forth from its master's shoulder to the large crowd of Irkens.
"Nice to see you again, Myu." Kai muttered under her breath, patting her pet and loyal servant on the head.
Myu mewed in response, rubbing against her master's gloved palm.
"Show me the image of our guys." Kai ordered.
Suddenly a flash flickered behind Myu's bulb-like eyes.
A hologram projected into view from Myu.
Kai was a Bounty Hunter.
It was her job to find fugitives like these guys, and bring them in for the cash. Lately, she hadn't been doing so well. Going for the small fries wasn't much fun.
The cash wasn't worth the trouble, but since her stocks on food, and pretty much everything else were practically picked clean, she really had no choice in these matters.
But with this news…
"100,000,000 double gillions…," Kai read aloud. "Perfect!"
She had a good feeling that this was going to be fun.
Just then her stomach interrupted her with a gnarled angry growl.
Kai sighed.
No Bounty, no money, no food.
Sometimes she wondered if this job was really worth it. She was starving, she realized.
"Myu, scan every Irken here. These guys have got to be here somewhere."
Myu nodded, before disappearing in a fast blur through the crowds.
Meanwhile, Kai glanced over her shoulder at the nearest vending machine.
She watched hungrily as a male Irken slipped two gillion coins into the slots, and went walking away merrily with a delicious slurpy drink in hand.
Kai glanced around slyly.
No one was around.
Casually, she walked up to the vending machine, whistling as she did so. Getting as close as she could to the thick glass, and slowly pulling up her sleeve to revealing a small round gadget attached to her right wrist. She pointed it directly into the computer. A red beam flashed through the scanner of the vender.
There was a weird beeping noise as the machine malfunctioned. Then, to her joy, a space bar fall free from its hook and down into the slot. Kai quickly bent down to snatch up her prize.
Her own invention. pure genius.
A loud applause suddenly broke through the silence. Excited cheers rang through the halls.
"Crap, they're starting already?" Kai cried in surprise, as she realized that she was the only one in the halls.
She raced down the silver plated corridor and into the main sector.
The room was very large, filled with what appeared to be thousands of Irkens. Kai pushed and shoved her way through the crowds until she was directly in front.
The screams grew even more intense.
Kai glance up in awe as the great almighty tallest came into view.
The crowd cheered with excitement as the laser shows began all at once.
"Thank you, and welcome mighty Irken soldiers, you are the finest examples of military training the Irken army has to offer…" Red greeted. "Good for you…he muttered under his breath. "Standing behind us however, are the soldiers we have chosen in roles in one of the most exciting parts. Operation Impending Doom 2!"
The crowd went wild, and Kai watched with great interest.
"These superior ones…" Red continued.
"Not so superior as us, or course!" Purple added quickly. Red slapped him upside the head.
"Duh!" Red spat irritably.
"These less superior than us, but still quite superior soldiers will each be assigned to an enemy planet!"
"There, they will blend in with the hideous native inhabitance. All the while, gathering important information assessing the planets weaknesses." Purple explained.
Kai watched them with great interest and pride.
It was her first time seeing them with her own two eyes in person.
"They're so tall! How can anyone be so tall? No wonder they were chosen to be our leaders," Kai continued to think.
They're not bad looking either…" She blushed slightly, but shook the thought away quickly.
What was she thinking?
They're the rulers of their entire empire!
"But still…there was something odd about these guys." Kai thought.
She watched as each invader was called upon one by one, and each assigned their planets.
It was a pretty boring event, but at least she got to see them. It made the trip totally worthwhile.
The Great Assigning is now over…," Purple began, but was interrupted with the muffled sound of yelling.
There were low angry, surprised gasps throughout the crowd.
.
"Move it! Get out of my way! You're in my way!" The angry voice echoed.
Kai turned just in time to see a short angry Irken with a fierce frown etched onto his face.
"What the…?" She began just before his crimson eyes met her jade ones momentarily, before he rudely knocked her aside, and strode to approach the stage.
Kai was on the floor, surrounded by black leather and boots.
As she griped the floor to support herself, her hand went flopping into a puddle of sticky wet slurpy mush.
"Ah! Great!" She shrieked angrily.
Her eyes flashed with rage, as she pulled herself up, flinging the sticky substance from her palm.
Whoever that rude Irken was, had now climbed on top of the stage and had the nerve to walk straight up to the Tallest.
"What the hell does that idiot think he's doing?" Kai thought alarmingly.
"Wait!" He bellowed.
"That voice…," Purple noted, with a tension of all knowing horror. "No…it can't be…Zim!"
Zim approached the almighty Tallest.
"Sorry I'm late, my Tallest." Zim noted, "I seem to have lost my invitation. Lucky I made it at all."
"You weren't invited, Zim." Red said shaking his head.
Kai stood listening to them.
She stared angrily at the rude Irken, who now she knew as Zim.
"Who did this guy think he was?"
"You can't quit being banished, Zim!" Red continued, rubbing his temples.
Suddenly, a flash of blue zipped passed her right eye.
Right away she knew who it was.
Myu, clenched tightly onto her shoulder. She yipped with excitement, jumping about.
"Myu, what have you found?" Kai asked, almost forgetting her whole mission. She turned away from Zim's pitiful argument.
Myu's eyes flashed red, signaling that she had found who they had been searching for.
Kai's face flushed with excitement.
"That was fast."
"Come on, show me. You got a picture of them, right?" Kai asked breathlessly. Her heart racing in her chest as Myu projected the photos.
Kai frowned as she looked them over.
"Myu…" Kai began impatiently tapping her foot. "I know you're excited to see The Tallest too, but you don't need all these images of…them…,"
Her words slurred towards the end of her sentence.
"Of…them!" She repeated, suddenly, frightened.
She knew what this must mean.
"No, but they can't be our guys!" Kai protested.
Myu hissed angrily at Kai's stubbornness.
Their height, it didn't make sense. Their info had read that they were both approximately four feet tall…but the Tallest had to at least be six and a half feet in height.
Kai never doubted Myu. After all, she had made her with her own hands. She wasn't defective. Myu had to somehow be right. She needed to investigate.
Kai stared up at the stage in a new light, glaring suspiciously at who claimed to be The Almighty tallest.
"Arrested for Fraud."
The Ploy Brothers…Ploy meaning (Trickster)." Kai remembered their description.
"Yes…it must make sense…somehow."
She would find a way.
"You will be sent to a planet so mysterious, that no one has ever heard of it." Red continued to speak to Zim.
Kai wasn't listening to them. She was plotting.
How could she get close enough to them without making a scene?
She turned away from the stage, and walked back through the crowd.
What ever became of Zim or where ever he was sent didn't matter to her.
She didn't have time to stay and find out. Once away from every one she began to run some scans on the projected map of the entire ship.
Kai's eyes widened in surprise.
"Security isn't as tight as I would have expected. Not at all," She analyzed each hall. Not a guard or anyone in sight.
"This should be a piece of cake. All I have to know now... is where the Tallest would be after the assigning?"
Where ever it was, she had to be sure to be there before this show was over.
Probably back stage.
She needed to get there fast.
"I can't get back stage with all these people around. Myu, can you find another way?"
Before she could even finish her sentence, there was a loud clanking noise. Kai turned in that direction.
Myu had unscrewed round vent window towards the ceiling, and had already climbed in.
"That could work too."
Kai crawled through the steel vents. She was right above the auditorium. She could see the crowd way down below. She was making good pace. Not far ahead, Myu lead the way.
She watched as each Invader was assigned a Sir Unit. She saw where the Tallest had gotten Zim's Unit. (The trash)
She watched from above as his Sir Unit addressed himself as "Gir", and began mindlessly hopping around the stage.
Kai snickered.
That Zim guy had to be a complete idiot to except such a pile of junk.
"The Assigning is now over. You may all go home." Purple then announced.
"Shit!" Kai hissed. She hadn't realized the time. Gritting her teeth, she turned away from the vent, beginning to crawl faster. She could hear the crowds boots as they all cluttered away all at once from the building. Soon they would all be gone.
Myu mewed from down the vent hall, directing a paw downwards to a single vent up ahead.
Kai quickly crawled toward it, and peeked in.
There they are!
Red sighed. They were back stage now. Purple at his side.
"Finally!" Red grunted. "It takes a lot out of you just to keep those idiots busy."
"I hear you there." Purple agreed.
"Shut up. All those people out there were here to see me, not you." Red hissed. "No one likes you."
"Hey, I thought we were in this together."
"We are. All you have to do is stick by me, and do nothing. Maybe no one will figure us out. We're only lucky that no one's discovered us so far."
Kai glared down at Red. "What are they up to…?"
"Whatever." Red sighed. "Finally there all gone. It feels like forever since I last got out of this thing."
Suddenly there was a loud hiss, and Kai watched in utter disbelief as Red's body actually began to split into two.
A fine mist poured out from the open crack running down his back.
Then, without warning, his body became an empty shell as it departed and fell lifelessly to the floor.
Red stood there.
The real Red.
He wasn't tall any more. He was short! The suit he had been wearing was a fake!
Kai gasped. She couldn't believe her eyes. Her heart began to race in her chest.
"Sometimes it feels like this old thing is a part of my body." Purple sighed.
And Kai watched in horror as his tall fake body suit fell away just as Reds had.
They were just normal Irkens.
They weren't any taller than anybody else.
They had fooled everyone!
Kai watched with anger now growing in her heart as the two frauds had silently got slurpy drinks and were now relaxing on a sofa.
Enough was enough! It was time to end this!
Kai suddenly ripped the vent clean off its holder, sending bolts flying.
She swooped down, landing on her feet.
Myu's eyes flashed crimson. She hissed and growled fiercely.
Kai whipped out her laser-gun from its holster, pointing it directly at the two imposters.
"Hands high! Nobody move. You two will be coming with me!"
Purple and Red's faces went blank, Staring up at Kai's big gun, dropping their slurpys immediately.
Purple was first to speak. "Hey, you're not supposed to be here!" His hands up over his head.
"Really?" Kai reached into her boot, pulling out a card. "Bail Enforcement Agent, Kai. Lovely to meet you my Tallest," Kai said smugly. "Or should I say, The Ploy Brothers?"
Red's eyes narrowed into slits.
"Bounty Hunter, huh? So, somebody finally figured us out. About time. I thought it would take forever. So, how'd you do it?"
"Easy," Kai said. "I knew the Ploy Brothers had to be at this convention somewhere. My robot matched all your data perfectly. I honestly didn't expect it would be the two of you. It's almost sad…," Kai told them.
"Listen, Kay…" Red grunted, nudging purple slightly, giving him the signal.
"The names Kai. Agent Kai." Kai grinned devilishly. "Sorry about this, but you two have such a juicy price on your heads, it's imposable to ignore. I need that money."
"But you can't turn us in." Red suddenly said.
"Is that right…," Kai almost laughed, "If I had a Gillion for every time an Irken fugitive had told me that one. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't. It's not like it matters any way…,"
"Listen, Agent Kai, right?" Red began, his voice softening. "We've been ruling for so long. The empire needs us. It's a complete disaster without us."
"But your frauds." Kai hissed. "You're not even tall. Y-your…your fakes!" Her hands shaking.
"And we fooled everyone." Red continued. "Even you agree, we are great rulers…"
They are.
Then he paused, staring her straight in the eyes coolly.
"You know…we could make you tall too."
"What?" Kai gasped, the thought throwing her off looked away for just a moment.
Bad idea.
Purple took advantage of the situation, quickly sneaking off the couch, passed her.
She was too clouded in her thoughts to notice.
"You could rule beside us…if…you agree not to turn us in." Red continued.
"I…,"Kai began, not knowing what to say.
Ruling the Irken Empire? Being tall? This was a lot to offer.
But…
"Nice try, fugitive," She said. "I hunt bad guys like you for a living. I know how you work. And I'm not falling for any of your tricks."
She glared at Red, who was grinning evilly.
That's when she noticed that purple was gone off the sofa.
"Where's…?"
A loud harsh squeal shot through her ears. She turned around.
It was Myu. She had collapsed to the floor. Electric volts jolting form her injured form.
Purple stood over her, a strange, purple fluid filled syringe in hand.
Kai eyes widened.
"Myu!" She cried. Her teeth gritted in rage, glaring across the room at purple. "What did you do to her?"
"Nanobites." Purple noted, holding the empty vile up for her to see. "Completely destroys the hard drive."
"No!" Kai gasped, reaching out, taking a step forward towards Myu's lifeless frame.
Her mind had slipped completely away from Red, who was now on his feet again.
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a long syringe with a thick needle, containing a green fluid.
With one quick movement, he had her by the throat, grabbing hold of her right arm, and twisting it high behind her back, forcing her to drop her weapon.
She twisted and struggled. "Let me go!" She hissed. Beginning to kick.
Purple came to Reds aid.
"I'll get her feet!" Purple insisted, running at her, just as she kicked him smack between the eyes.
"Oh no you won't!" Kai growled.
"You could have ruled beside us, Agent Kai, but it looks like we're going to have to get rid of you. Can't have an ungrateful little Irken running around snitching on us, can we?"
"Let go!"
Red grinned slyly.
"I think I know exactly where we'll send you."
Suddenly there was a sharp jab in the side of her neck as the needle poked through.
The green fluid rushed into her veins.
Kai cried out as she felt the effect immediately.
"Good bye Agent Kai…and sweet dreams." Red said into her ear before she blacked out.
Writer Comments:
I hope my readers enjoyed my first chapter.
Don't forget to leave a review. ^_^
