Going in for the Kill, Doing it for a Thrill
Introduction: Dead but Still Alive
66Fangirl66
The sky rained white ash the day the earth was taken.
The first people to see the ash mistook the falling particles for snow, but the smell deceived no one. The air was thick with it, making it hard to breathe, to see. The smog made you choke and retch, contaminating the atmosphere to the point where ventilation masks were necessary to breathe.
All the plants died.
Most of the animals too.
Only humans remained thanks to our technology. But with all our advanced resources and satellites we still couldn't find a cause or permanent solution for our current environmental catastrophe.
When the snow first began, everyone thought it was a prank. Surely, if this were some sort of disaster our government would have warned us. Surely this was no cause for panic.
But then it started happening everywhere.
Cities all around the world reported the same unexplainable phenomenon. The entire world was enclosed in a gray, dead fog that was spewing ash and blocking our sun.
We were dying, the world was suffocating and no one could find a reason.
The snow took two years to kill every living thing on the planet.
It stopped just as suddenly as it began but the dense, gray cloud surrounding earth remained. The earth was left covered in a layer of white, toxic ash.
That's when the creatures descended.
Creature is a poor term to use, but Dib has no other way to describe them. He has only seen video recordings but the aliens seem to be made from the same burnt material as the snow.
Dib remembers the last time he saw the sun. The last time he felt its warmth. It feels like a dream now. He has been living in a bubble with the rest of the survivors for three years; artificial sun and air are all he knows now.
He was lucky, he was his father's son—clone. He was allowed to exist within the Membrane.
Living in Professor Membrane's Membrane kept him alive but no less a captive. The creatures did not attempt to harm the surviving city, but they did not offer aid either. There was no reason to attack this last human stronghold.
The planet was dead. The humans couldn't—wouldn't survive much longer.
The creatures just needed to be patient. They just needed to wait.
Tuesday January 15th
3:32am
Dib was suddenly awake. His eyes scanned his dark bedroom but nothing seemed out of place. He sat up quickly and muttered, "Light on."
The room flooded with light and Dib squinted against the onslaught. He froze, his breath catching in his throat. There, sitting innocently in the middle of his room, was a dog.
Impossible, he thought, Dogs have been extinct for three years. No one was willing to pay a fortune on a customized ventilation mask for a pet.*But sure enough, sitting smack dab in the center of his carpet was a large, fluffy white dog.
It stared at him intelligently. Dib stared back not so intelligently.
"Uh…Hi there bud, where'd you come from?" Dib immediately wanted to smack himself in the face, the dog for Christ's sake wasn't about to give him any answers.
But then the dog opened his mouth and a very familiar voice issued forth.
"I hope you feel very stupid Dib-Stink because if this had been a real dog you would be receiving no answer…"
Dib was up, out of bed, and kneeling in front of the dog in two seconds flat.
"Zim!"
"Obviously" , Came the smug reply, "I'm gone seven measly earth years Dib-thing, are you so out of practice that you have allowed your planet to be destroyed by some lowly virus?"
He sounded different. It was the same arrogant tone, but he sounded different. Older maybe? Dib couldn't put his finger on it.
"Well? Are you so awestruck by Zim's return that you have been rendered speechless?"
Dib snapped back to reality and immediately bristled at Zim's original comment. "I didn't let any of this happen! A virus? What the hell are you talking about Zim? And where the fuck are you!?"
"Be quiet and calm yourself stinky, all your questions will be answered when I arrive."
"Where are you no-"
"I said QUIET!"
Dib fell silent. "Good," Dib could practically see Zim's pleased expression. "I will be arriving tomorrow, Gir dropped by my old base before visiting you and the protective defenses have held in my absence. I expect you there tomorrow night."
"Wait, Gir?" It didn't surprise Zim that Gir was the only thing in everything he said that the human would focus on. "This is Gir?"
"Yes smelly earth-pig. Did you hear Zim's instructions? Tomorrow night at my old base, do not make Zim wait!" He paused and added as an afterthought, "Gir will remain with you to make sure you are punctual." Gir's mouth snapped shut and Dib realized the conversation was over.
"Wait you alien asshole, I still have more questions!" Dib yelled but it was useless as Zim had cut the transmission.
Dib sighed in frustration. Zim hadn't even been back for ten minuets and Dib already wanted to strangle him.
Gir began to pant.
The action was so incredibly realistic that Dib felt a stab of nostalgia at the fact that he would never actually see a real dog ever again. Gir's new disguise was impeccably flawless, Dib reached out his hand and began to pet the robot fondly. "Man, if you and Zim had been this good at blending in before I never would have pegged you guys as extraterrestrials."
Gir's mouth opened again and Dib's heart lept. Zim was back! And maybe he would answer his questions this ti—
"I MISSED YOUR BIG HEAD!" The robot screeched in the same ear-bleeding pitch Dib remembered from his youth.
"Gir shut up!" Dib immediately tackled the hyperactive robot dog in an effort to shut its mouth but the giggles continued even as Dib forced Gir's mouth shut. "Gir, seriously, you have to be quiet!" He hissed in frustration. His dad was super paranoid these days, for good reasons, and the last thing Dib needed was him barging in on this.
The robot's eyes, which had been glowing a happy greenish blue, turned blood red and the robot went still. "Yessir." The red faded from his eyes and they went back to their 'happy' color but Gir thankfully remained silent.
"Okay, good, now hop on the bed and let me get some sleep. It's important that no one see you Gir, okay? Really important." Dib can't even imagine the amount of unwanted attention a dog would cause. This disguise may have worked seven years ago but this was a very different earth from the one Zim had left behind.
Dib settled himself back into bed. Gir perching on the corner to keep watch.
Sleep felt miles away though. Dib's mind was abuzz with activity, with excitement. He would see Zim tomorrow. He hadn't seen the green alien since he was thirteen, when Zim had left abruptly with little explanation.
Everything had been good between them for years. They had, had their rivalry when they were younger but as they got older Zim's attempted conquests got less serious until they stopped all together. Instead, Zim and Dib found themselves teaming up against the various attacks that seemed to plague their city on a weekly basis. Whether it was the escaped zoo monkees or the dreaded Santa Claws; Zim and Dib always found themselves on the same side.
They were both the weird kids with no friends. They both new things about the other that no one on earth could ever hope to understand or accept. It had been natural, comfortable even, when they had become friends.
That's why it had been so hard to watch Zim leave. And just when Dib had finally realized what the alien meant to him.
But he's back now. I have a second chance, with him and maybe for earth too. With renewed hope Dib began to drift, the last thing he saw before his eyes fell shut was the soft glow of blue-green eyes.
*For the record I would definitely pay a fortune for a customized ventilation mask for my dog.
Here's a timeline for anyone who might be confused so far:
-Dib was 10-11 years old when Zim and him developed a friendship.
-Zim left when Dib was 13.
-The snow began when Dib was 17.
-Now, 3 years after the snow started, is where my story picks up and Dib is 20. The only survivors of the snow were the citizens of Dib's city because his father built the "Membrane" which enclosed the city in a protective barrier and provides artificial light and filters oxygen from the devastated environment. The Membrane houses about 5, 000 people.
-The only plants that survived were ones that could grow under artificial conditions but resources like water are slowly dwindling. The city and its citizens are in trouble if they can't figure out a way to make the earth hospitable again.
-All other animals except for humans are dead because before Prof. Membrane built the membrane everyone wore ventilation masks to breathe but no one could afford ones for their pets/squirrels and such :( Also the environment got so bad that the ventilation masks were unable to filter oxygen efficiently so everybody died except for the people who lived in the same city as Prof. Membrane.
-Last point: Zim's base in also enclosed within the Membrane because he lived in Dib's city duh :P
Sorry that was kind of a lot! Please review my friends!
Cheers,
66Fangirl66