Ah…(somewhat) on a roll with stories today. I started that one from my crappy "laptop". And now I'm catching up on Vertigo! Whoo! Well, here you go!
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Chapter 3: A Life
Var (A/n: 'Member? That's Dib with amnesia!) bit his lip as the robotic arm zapped the poor smeet a third time.
Kit sighed. "That's the third one today. Something must be wrong with the incubators. I should report this…"
"Wait!" Var exclaimed as Kit picked up the limp smeet. "Don't tell me you're just going to," he gulped, "throw it out!"
"What else is there to do?" Kit asked, turning around to face Var. Her eyes held his gaze steadily. "It could be ill. If that's the case, we need to be rid of it; or the others will fall ill as well. There's nothing to be done."
Var looked at the limp body. Something inside him tugged him towards the poor thing. He did not know why, but he felt that there still should be something to do.
"May I at least…" he said, his voice trailing off.
"Hold it?" Kit finished his sentence. Var felt embarrassed.
"Well," he started, "it looks a little uncomfortable for you. I mean, it seems to big for you to hold. No offense." He shuffled his feet nervously.
Kit smiled, knowingly. "No offense taken. And yes, you may." She handed the poor creature to Var and began to walk further into the room. "Just follow me." Var obeyed, Dem following behind him. Var looked down at the lifeless body in his arms. It seemed to be a shame. He knew, somehow, that she would be important one day.
Suddenly, the smeet blinked, revealing vibrant green eyes. Var was so surprised, he could hardly speak.
"Um…" he stammered. "K-Kit!"
"What?" Kit called over her shoulder.
"You might want to see this, Kit!" Dem called, looking over Var's shoulder.
Kit ran back to them and gasped, "Oh my…"
The smeet looked innocently up at Var and said, "You're so warm!" The smeet hugged Var and showed signs that she would not let go.
"Wow…" Kit breathed. "Well! You're all going in the wrong direction! You need to take her to the Control Brains!" Kit began pushing them out of the smeet room. She was smiling at them, her amusement reflecting on her face. Once they were outside the room, Var attempted to put the smeet down.
"No way!" she exclaimed, clinging to Var. "I want that warmth!!"
"Fine…" Var sighed, a little annoyed. He picked up the little Irken onto his back. Dem looked over and noticed this.
"Why do you have her on your back?" he asked, his antennae twitching with curiosity.
"I…I'm not sure…" Var answered. "I vaguely remember something like this…"
Dem shrugged and began to lead Var through more of the twisting tunnels and long corridors. Eventually, they ended up in a room with, what looked to be, a large PAK hanging from the wall.
"Ah, Dem," said the Control Brain. "And the new prisoner. Var was it?"
"Yes," Var answered, confidently.
"What brings you here?"
Dem managed to pry the smeet off of Var's back and set her down. The smeet bravely walked up to the Control Brain, staring defiantly at it. Wires shot out from the large PAK and attached themselves into the smeet's own PAK.
"Ah, yes," the Control Brain droned, "we were expecting you, young one. Amazing that you should be here…now…let's see. You're name shall be-"
"Excuse me," Var interrupted, "but, may I name her?"
"I'm not sure…" the Control Brain considered. "You are not of our species. And your head is very big…"
"What does THAT have to do with it?" Var asked, defensively. "Anyway, I am the one who saved her life…"
"Oh?"
This time, Dem stepped forward. "Yes, Control Brain, it's true. This smeet should have been dead, but Var here…..well he saved her…"
"Very well then," the Control Brain paused. "But you must promise to care for her as well."
Var nodded. "I'll name her…Mimi…" he decided, smiling at the young Irken.
"Why that name?" the Control Brain asked, slowly.
Var sensed that he was being tested for something. "I-I am not sure…" he admitted. "It just…came to me…"
The Control Brain was silent once more and Var feared that he had given the wrong answer. He almost jumped when it replied, "That is all. When she is of age, she will go to the planet, Devastas and train to be an Invader."
Mimi's green eyes shone with pride as the wires unlatched from her PAK. She saluted to the Control Brain and said, "I won't disappoint you!" She walked proudly and confidently to the smiling Var and nodded.
"Odd…" the Control Brain said to himself, thoughtfully. "That's exactly what he said…" Then it quickly added, "Never mind. Dem, show Dib…sorry Var, to his living quarters."
"Why did he call me 'Dib'?" Var whispered to Dem. Dem's face suddenly became rigid, as if Var wasn't supposed to know, let alone ask.
"Must have been a mix up with a different prisoner…" Dem answered, then he walked out of the room. Var followed, Mimi trailing behind. When the door shut behind them, Tallest Red stepped out from the shadows.
"Ah, Tallest Red," the Control Brain said, fondly. "Just the Irken I wanted to speak with. And where is Tallest Purple?"
"At the bridge," Red shrugged. "You were talking about Zim, weren't you?"
"Yes…"
"Do you really hate him?"
"What do you mean?"
"The way you mentioned him. There was something about the way you said it. A sort of…fondness…or even admiration…" Red stepped to the center of the room, where Mimi had been named.
"There are some things even an Irken your age would not begin to comprehend…" the Control Brain sighed.
"Like why, after the Examination, you had us erase the human's memories?"
"Yes. This…Dib…he has…determination. And confidence. He's almost as dangerous as…the Armada."
"How so?"
"Like I said, he has determination. He is very brave. He might not always have the brightest ideas, but he goes through with them until the end. He just has that type of personality. He's very much like the Armada itself…"
"I see…but that has nothing to do with Zim…" Red narrowed his eyes. "I mean, for an Irken a little over two hundred fifty…I can understand some things, you know…"
"Yes…" the Brain sighed again. "However…some things in this universe are better off not understood."
"But this is important. If he hears about Zim anymore…"
"I know…" the Brain paused. "Do you remember that Prophecy?"
Red nodded. He knew it well. He braced himself for any information that may come out of this…
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Yay! Another chapter finished! I will finish the next one before I get off the computer tonight. It'll be the Control Brain explaining to Red the significance of the Prophecy. I think it's very important…
Review, please!! ^w^
