REMINISCENCE
After about ten minutes of idly surfing endless pages of virtually useless data, Dib was tired of it. He hit 3 buttons, leaving the computer dark and soundless, and stalked out of the room. He hit the light as he went, ignoring the fact that Angel remained in the room, and went to the weapons' warehouse. This was as sadly depleted as his army was, and he didn't spend long looking at the serial numbers on each gun. He had memorized these numbers, long ago when it mattered whom was left. Hundreds and hundreds of these seemingly meaningless numbers had passed under his watch, until the people they represented had become as faceless as the weapons themselves.
***
Angel waited in silence for Dib to return. He always left her like this, in the dark, and so she had become used to it. Here, days and nights meant nothing. It was only… when Dib was here and when he was not. The girl wasn't allowed to leave often; when she was, it was on Dib's orders, and he always came with her. She remembered a time when it was nothing like that, when she and Dib were "in love." Love! What a cruel joke that word symbolized.
But she remembered, just the same…
Dib had his arm around Angel. She was a little uncomfortable around his new friends, but since she didn't know why, she decided not to bring it up. It wasn't worth making him worry more. He was changing now; she heard a strain in his voice and felt it in his touch. She kept that to herself, too. Who wouldn't be tense under these circumstances? Zim was advancing more quickly than Dib had expected, and Dib's army was falling apart. He was able to rally them, but it took a lot out of him. Out of them both.
"So, how long before the next attack?" The pretty girl with auburn hair was far too eager. She seemed too ready to go into battle, too obviously unaware of the danger her troops would face. Of how many they would lose.
"Not long, I suppose. A few weeks, I think. That will leave us time to train your new recruits."
"Will we be able to get in weapons for them quickly enough?" Chip was always thinking about the important details. That was what made him a good second-in-command. He remembered what Dib didn't.
"Should be, I think. If not, they'll have to stay behind. More preparation time would be good anyway."
Bryce had remained silent throughout this short discussion. He was tall and muscular, with hair the same color as Dib's, but he wasn't anywhere near the strong silent type. He was often deep in thought. His talent made him a good intelligence expert; his experience made him a great one.
Dib asked him, "Bryce, where do you think would be the best place to hit Zim's base now?"
"We need to storm the prison. 27 of ours were taken in the last assault, and we can't afford that kind of loss."
"All right." Dib took his arm from Angel's shoulders long enough to write this down.
"I don't think the prison is a good idea this time. Their guard would be expecting us, and we'd only lose more. In my opinion, we need to hit the barracks." Angel looked down shyly as soon as she finished speaking.
Talon, a dark, handsome friend of Dib's, winked at her when she managed to look back up. Dib saw this. He tensed a little, and Talon looked away deferentially. Dib loved Angel a lot, and he was always jealous of other guys. This had formerly amused Angel, but lately it seemed fiercer. She wondered if he would ever explode and hurt someone. Then with a shudder, she pushed the thought away.
**************************************************************************** ***
After about ten minutes of idly surfing endless pages of virtually useless data, Dib was tired of it. He hit 3 buttons, leaving the computer dark and soundless, and stalked out of the room. He hit the light as he went, ignoring the fact that Angel remained in the room, and went to the weapons' warehouse. This was as sadly depleted as his army was, and he didn't spend long looking at the serial numbers on each gun. He had memorized these numbers, long ago when it mattered whom was left. Hundreds and hundreds of these seemingly meaningless numbers had passed under his watch, until the people they represented had become as faceless as the weapons themselves.
***
Angel waited in silence for Dib to return. He always left her like this, in the dark, and so she had become used to it. Here, days and nights meant nothing. It was only… when Dib was here and when he was not. The girl wasn't allowed to leave often; when she was, it was on Dib's orders, and he always came with her. She remembered a time when it was nothing like that, when she and Dib were "in love." Love! What a cruel joke that word symbolized.
But she remembered, just the same…
Dib had his arm around Angel. She was a little uncomfortable around his new friends, but since she didn't know why, she decided not to bring it up. It wasn't worth making him worry more. He was changing now; she heard a strain in his voice and felt it in his touch. She kept that to herself, too. Who wouldn't be tense under these circumstances? Zim was advancing more quickly than Dib had expected, and Dib's army was falling apart. He was able to rally them, but it took a lot out of him. Out of them both.
"So, how long before the next attack?" The pretty girl with auburn hair was far too eager. She seemed too ready to go into battle, too obviously unaware of the danger her troops would face. Of how many they would lose.
"Not long, I suppose. A few weeks, I think. That will leave us time to train your new recruits."
"Will we be able to get in weapons for them quickly enough?" Chip was always thinking about the important details. That was what made him a good second-in-command. He remembered what Dib didn't.
"Should be, I think. If not, they'll have to stay behind. More preparation time would be good anyway."
Bryce had remained silent throughout this short discussion. He was tall and muscular, with hair the same color as Dib's, but he wasn't anywhere near the strong silent type. He was often deep in thought. His talent made him a good intelligence expert; his experience made him a great one.
Dib asked him, "Bryce, where do you think would be the best place to hit Zim's base now?"
"We need to storm the prison. 27 of ours were taken in the last assault, and we can't afford that kind of loss."
"All right." Dib took his arm from Angel's shoulders long enough to write this down.
"I don't think the prison is a good idea this time. Their guard would be expecting us, and we'd only lose more. In my opinion, we need to hit the barracks." Angel looked down shyly as soon as she finished speaking.
Talon, a dark, handsome friend of Dib's, winked at her when she managed to look back up. Dib saw this. He tensed a little, and Talon looked away deferentially. Dib loved Angel a lot, and he was always jealous of other guys. This had formerly amused Angel, but lately it seemed fiercer. She wondered if he would ever explode and hurt someone. Then with a shudder, she pushed the thought away.
**************************************************************************** ***