D.I.B (Devario, Iriatherina, Bio-human)
Chapter 4: A new Home
By Glowzilla
Disclaimer: I don't own IZ or any of the characters sadly =( But I do write this story so I say what the characters do lol. ^_^ Hope y'all enjoy this next chapter!
The construction of Dibs tank took over 6 hours to complete. Not a very long time for Irkens and Vortians working together, but long enough for Dib to get antsy inside of the ship. He didn't like being in enclosed spaces for too long, and since the trip back from Earth took almost 22 hours, he was anxious to get out. Not that Zim could blame him, 22 hours in a tank covered by a thick metal cover with no one speaking to you, Zim was astounded that Dib hadn't tried to break out.
Although he started to question that when he saw small cracks in the glass near the top of the tank. It looked as if Dib had thrown himself at the glass in an attempt to break through. And although the glass was nearly 2 feet thick, large round cracks littered random spots of the walls. Zim had to commend Dib on his strength, though he had to be sure never to leave himself vulnerable to his new housemate if he ever chose to get violent. It would take a massive amount of force to break through such thickness, but Zim believed that if Dib wanted to, he could have easily get through such a barrier.
And to make sure nothing of the sort did happen, Zim made sure to tell the construction crew while they were knocking out parts of the building to make sure the glass was high grade material with plexy fiber material so the glass could curve easily, but also expand slightly when force was applied, easing the pressure of the water and a possible violent guest from breaking it.
Normally the construction of such a tank wouldn't take so long, but Zim wanted to make sure Dib had optimal swimming room, which is what he told the earth- fish when he started complaining that it was taking too long. Zim had his builders tear out two whole floors in his building so the tank could be exceptionally deep. And since Zims tower was built with reinforced steel and a marble granite by-product, the weight of the tank could be easily upheld within the catsle. Although Zim saw it more as a sky- scraper. His tower was the tallest building on Irk, since the tallest tower was also considered to be where the capital was inside the city. A tall tower fort the tallest, quite a nice fit, but Zim would always get lost in the great cavern of a maze that was his home. He rarely ever explored it, and would stick to his normal routine when doing his duties.
But Dibs arrival told him his life was going to get a bit more lively. He didn't know why he thought it, but when that passed through his mind he knew it to be true.
As a precaution however to the tanks large size, Zim had his janitorial staff who also lived in the building, right underneath where Dibs tank was being built, move towards the other side of the area. Even though he was told adamantly that the weight of the tank was nothing to worry about, death by drowning or being crushed had Zim taking the extra precaution anyway. And since Zims room was right above Dibs new room, he didn't have to worry about being crushed. That didn't mean he didn't worry about his staff. Although he may not say it much to them, he did in fact like their company. They were never loud, kept to themselves, and stayed out of his personal area unless things got too crowded for him.
There weren't many but Zim liked them all the same, no matter how rare it was that he said it.
As they waited inside of the ship, Zim would show Dib the progress of the tank via the communication device he had the lead invader bring to him. It resembled an I-Pad from earth, but had way more functions. If properly used right, Zim instructed, just one of those could power multiple vehicles at once. But Zim was naturally simplistic at heart, so he used his for holo- commuting, a different term for face-timing on earth. as he showed Dib through the I-Pad how far along they were, Dib was elated to see that he was actually getting something huge. He even gave them some ideas for circulating air through the tank better when they got it up and running.
The glass, as he looked on, was already in place, it bowed out at the sides per his instructions. Since he was more salt water than fresh water, he swam easiest if there was a current to the water. The bows in the tank allowed for better mobility and a better circulation of the water through his gills. Bubbles, as he had figured out on earth, would always get into his gills and clog them, much like a true salt water fish when exposed to bubbles. They made it harder for them to breath, and would create air pockets inside their dermis layer. Dib could swim in it, but it was uncomfortable to him and he grew out of breath quickly when the bubbles seemed to clog the layers.
Lights were inserted inside the tank as well, and they curved up the walls of the tank, traveling from the bottom to the top at the curved areas. The tank could be illuminated at night, and since they were solar powered, they would glow softly since they were tinted blue. Not too bright to be uncomfortable, but enough so that the illumination resembled moonlight in the water.
Dib was growing more impatient by the minute as he watched his new home being created before his eyes, he wanted to be there already, he wanted out of that ship.
"How deep is it?" Dib found himself asking through their bond, not bothering to stop the connection between himself and the creature before him. He would never say he was afraid of being alone after spending almost 22 hours inside of a dark tank, but he would admit that the creature, or Irken, was somewhat of a comfort to him. He liked talking to him, and he had a better idea of the Irken now. He didn't seem so foreign to him anymore, he didn't seem so alien. Maybe it was because Zim resembled a human in his physique, but his other features drowned out that small characteristic. If anything he looked more like a praying mantis, looking like he was ready to strike at anything.
The grace that body held did not get past Dib as he watched him move. His steps were deliberate, they held a purpose, and he always seemed to know where he was going. Dib could just see it in his eyes, he never took the wrong move, he was a creature of power after all. But Dib could also see Zim viewed himself highly, like he was superior to everyone else in a way. Although that wasn't a bad thing. Dib got the impression that if Zim let his guard down for a minute, others would swoop in to take the tallests position. It was understanding to Dib why the Irken acted the way he did. Plus being connected to Zims mind allowed Dib to catch glimpses of what the Irken was thinking, and more on how he perceived himself.
"Almost 300 feet deep," Zim exclaimed proudly. "I figured you'd want to be able to swim around inside of something that was large, and not cramped. So I made sure there was plenty of room for you. Plus the length is almost as long as one of your football fields, so Zim thinks you should be able to grow and stretch if you need to."
Wow, Dib thought secretly, that was way bigger than what they ever gave him at the lab. At most he was allowed to swim inside of the pool that they cleared of chlorine water and put salt water for him to survive.
"Now about your oxygen supply," Zim started, looking back at Dib. "You said plants would help is this correct?"
"Yeah, it should make it easier for me to breath, plus if you get the kind that can survive in salt water, you wouldn't even need to worry about feeding them, they could live off the water in my tank."
"That makes sense," Zim conceded, thinking about their options and how to make it work, a floating garden could be an option, but how…..
Dib could tell Zim was thinking really hard, he could sense the electricity between them shimmer with Zims brain waves. They hit him pleasantly and he wondered what the invader was thinking about.
Zim sent a quick message to the workers once he had his idea worked out, not wanting to say it out loud because he wanted it to be a surprise for the Dib. But now he had another inquiry to bring up.
"Salt water is what you prefer to live in am I correct?" Zim asked looking back towards the hybrid. He wanted to make sure he made this new living space correctly so there weren't problems later.
"That's what agrees with me most is how I'd say it." Dib answered nonchalantly. "I can live in fresh water, but the bacteria that lives in fresh doesn't bode to well with my anatomy. Algae would always brow in-between my scales and gills, so it's just easier inside salt water." Dib shuddered a little when he remembered the algae problem they were faced with when they first experimented on his living arrangements. That had been a horrible month Dib concluded. "I just don't want to have to continually clean myself." He answered truthfully, and it was clear by the look he was giving that salt water would be a way to go.
Zim gave a nod of understanding, "We'll have to input a large scale filter as well as a generator to create the salt water up to the water pump. Since I don't live near the oceans here on Irk, I couldn't just run a pump straight into the water supply that would take too long to build. So instead, we just connected the pump to the main water source here in the city, and the generator attached to the filter should distribute the amount of salt that goes into the water before it empties into the tank."
Dib was impressed with how well that sounded, and he was even more impressed when they showed him how it worked. All of the mechanics that would control the tank were all wired to the I-Pad Dib saw Zim using. With just the touch of a button, he could now control the salt consistency as well as the amount of water in the tank. And the high grade filter they used would keep his tank clean round the clock so he wouldn't have to worry about cleaning it himself.
Soon Dibs tank was filled and the lights were turned on inside the tank to be sure they worked. The filter was played with a little more but that soon was on as well. Even the internal current maker was brought to life, and as Dib watched he was amazed at what he saw. The tank seemed to take on a life of its own when it was turned on. But the colors of the water were what caught his eye, since one of the workers was walking around the tank to give him a view of everything through the I-Pad, Dib noticed the top of the water had a rainbow effect, much like oil spilt on the ground.
It didn't look goopy like real oil did, the hybrid could see clear through to the bottom of the tank, and when they walked along the glass at the bottom of the tank, Dib noticed that the colors of the water seemed to change. It was blindingly beautiful, and Dib couldn't wait to get there to see it in real, but he just had to ask what was making the color change.
Directing Zim to look at the screen Dib asked, "Why is the water changing color like that?" Zim looked at the screen and pondered the question. "I believe it is because we are using a mixture of salt and fresh water to fill your tank." He said it with a nod of his head but Dib seemed confused by the answer.
"Why would that change the color of the water?" he asked, clearly not understanding Zims answer. "Because Earth- fish, Irks oceans aren't all the same color, and neither is the fresh water. Since our fresh water we are pulling from is purple, we are using pink salt from the pink ocean in another area to help create the tank. The color change you are witnessing is because the two are trying to work together, and the mixture is becoming stable. Your water may continuously be a mix between blue, purple and pink because of it." He said it matter of factly with his hands on his hips, but Dib just looked like someone told him Darth Vader had Christmas on Mars. "Your planets bodies of water are all different colors!?" He exclaimed excitedly through their connection, "That's all sorts of awesome!" His tail gave a happy swish in the water and Zim watched bemused at the Dibs excitement.
"Isn't that normal?" Zim asked after a moment, "Arent all bodies of water different colors on your planet?" His expression was quizzical, the question making Dib laugh through their connection which only seemed to make Zim give an angry pouty huff, but he continued anyway. "On earth all the water in our mass is blue, it can only change if you chemically do something to it. In some areas the plants or the sand can be a different color based on the chemical properties of the water, but all water on earth is generally blue."
"That just sounds boring." Said Zim with a weird expression on his face. "I could never imagine what Irk would look like if we just had one color of water. I honestly think our planet would look weird."
Dib laughed a little at that, "yeah I could see why it would be weird for you, but for us on earth its normal. Plus it has its own beauty in a way, not like I've ever been outta the lab long enough to see it, but from what I have seen, I think it carries its beauty the way Earth was meant to look."
It was slight, but Zim could have sworn he felt a pang of something go through Dib when he mentioned hardly leaving the lab. The Dib must have lived a sheltered life for many years before coming to Irk. Hell, he didn't think Dib even got a chance to be with the people of Earth besides the scientists.
Zim looked away sadly, he too remembered a life long ago where he wasn't allowed outside, but that was a different story, and Zim didn't like to dwell in the past.
"You know, you are allowed to leave the castle, or building as I would call it, skyscraper or whatever." Zim coughed to the side as he tried to speak through the awkward silence. "You won't be confined to the inside like you were on Earth. You may go and come as you please without worry."
Dib smiled slightly, knowing that he would have more freedom on this planet than on his own, but the fact still remained, and he knew it deep down to his core. He was given away as a gift, a prize, and even though this creature was trying to make his life seem less hopeless than it already was, he knew that he wasn't free. The weight of that fact colored his emotions darkly, he wasn't free, even if he ran he would have no- where to go. He was stuck on this foreign planet, to be kept as a pet almost to the ruler. Sure he'd be pampered pretty and probably spoiled, but he would never be free. And that hit him harder than the betrayal from Earth ever could.
Zim saw Dibs weary expression but didn't understand it, shouldn't he be happy? He was a minute ago, I wonder what changed.
Surely he would be even happier with the newest addition to his tank Zim thought cheerfully. Just then getting the message that the tank was done and fully operational.
"Hey! Dib- Fish! Great news, your tank is done! Am I amazing or am I amazing? Surely you would no doubt be impressed with the building prowess that is the Irken race!" He exclaimed it loudly, boasting as he puffed out his chest in a superior like fashion. It knocked Dib out of his emotional crisis for him to look up quickly and give a smile.
"It's done? Finally! Can we go there now? this ship is starting to get on my nerves." He said it with a smile but inside he was very excited, forgetting his earlier internal argument in favor of wanting to see his new home. Not being able to stand the sight of the ship any longer. 28 hours was long enough, he wanted out, and fast.
Zim gave a pleased smirk, liking it better when the Dib smiled rather than having that weird expression on his face. Although his sharp teeth did have an effect on him, he'd have to remember later to ask Dib if he was a biter. He didn't want to have to worry about his staff if anyone went to say hi to his new housemate and they ended up missing a finger cause Dib was hungry.
The thought made him chuckle and shiver at the same time.
Calling over the lead invader, Zim set up a transport service that would be able to get Dib and himself back to his tower. Although it raised quite a dilemma when they were trying to figure out how to get Dib out of the current tank he was in.
Soon they had a large metal container that slightly resembled a bath tub lowered into the water via hovercraft. Once Dib was inside it and it was filled to the brim with water, the craft lowered to the ground right in front of Zim with the other invaders standing wearily next to their leader. Ready to spring into action if the creature decided to get violent. They had after all witnessed its hostile display shortly after its arrival. In effect it had them standing extra close to Zim when Dib came up to get an un-abrupted view of the tallest. His black hair forming around his face as the water clung to the strands, his antenna twitching slightly to the new area.
Not having the glass or the water as a hindrance to his sight, Dib could see Zim better, not that he couldn't see him before, his view wasn't that displaced, but out in the open seemed to clear up a few things for Dib.
Those eyes for one thing, they were huge, and a deep dark red, almost the color of blood. but upon closer inspection, Dib could see that they shimmered, almost like they were flecked with silver. They reminded him of a puffer fishes eyes, with how well the flecks stood out when the light hit them right. kind of like looking at a whole new galaxy.
His skin, well that wasn't anything new, it was green, as he had become accustomed to seeing on these Irkens for almost 6 hours, it wasn't that strange to him anymore. But his antenna really reinforced the bug like quality he carried. He really did look like a praying mantis, a very tall, large praying mantis that was serious all the time. looking at Zims face, Dib wondered if he had the right muscle features to smile, because his face looked blank, for all intents and purposes.
He had no nose to speak of, and no eyebrows, or ears, and when his mouth was shut, it seemed to become practically invisible, just a small outline of a line that said there was indeed a mouth here. His skin on closer inspection, Dib thought would be scaly but in fact it was very smooth, nothing marred it and there were no imperfections to speak of. Dib wondered if Irkens had pores and could sweat like humans, because their skin didn't even look like it held that function.
Zim in much the same manner was studying Dib like the hybrid was studying him, it was fascinating in a way to be this close to what would really be a marvel of science. It had his antenna clicking excitedly at being so close, his scientific brain, the part of him that used to work as a technician in the military was yelling at him to touch this strange creature. To see what and how it was made, to take its blood and run its DNA, to talk to it, and to see how its insides work. (Not in that creepy pull you apart way and rip your insides out, but in a hook you up to a strange machine and take pictures of your innards type of way).
There were so many things Zim could learn from this creation that it had him on the verge of jumping up and down to know that he would be housing it in his own home. He'd be able to study this creature all he wanted while simultaneously learning about Dib himself.
He didn't let his excitement show though, if Dib saw him acting all jumpy around him he'd surely rip his arm off. Not to mention he probably wouldn't be too happy if Zim whipped out his mini x-ray device and asked to see Dibs skeleton. Especially since they had just met and Dib seemed to still be wary of him.
Meaning when Zim stepped closer to the metal tank to get a better up close look at Dib, the hybrid had hissed at him and shrunk slightly in the water, his eyes dilated enough that the black pupil looked like it took over most of his eye. It reinforced that feral look and had Zim moving back just as quickly.
This really is going to be like training a wild animal, thought Zim wearily, not liking that he couldn't be more than 5 feet from Dib without getting hissed at, but he understood the trepidation. He couldn't move too fast, trust was to be made for this co-habitation to work, and it looked like it was going to take some time to earn it.
But Zim was willing to wait, he too had to re-learn how to live with others again, and the Dib seemed like he'd make excellent company.
25 minutes later-
The ride back to Zims tower was uneventful, taking longer than expected because the cruiser they boarded Dibs makeshift mobility tank in wasn't bolted to the ground and would slosh all over the back of the cruiser if they made turns too sharply.
It had Dib wiggling around uncomfortably during the ride, and Zim at one point had to grab hold of the tank to make sure it didn't tip. Dib didn't hiss that time, but he didn't look too happy with Zim being that close either.
It wasn't till they exited the cruiser did Zim give a sigh of relief, happy to be out of yet another awkward moment with the Dib-fish, since they hadn't talked the whole way to Zims home.
Making their way into the building, it was just a quick ride up in one cramped elevator, and a short hallway that they entered the top of the tank. Since the tank was basically two floors high, but in a massively tall building, there was quite a bit of space between the floors. Of course you could get to it by the secondary door at the bottom of the tank, but you'd have to climb the stairs to get to the top. The door at the top was just easier and exited right where they needed to be in order for Dib to be able to get into the water.
Zim for one was proud of the job his workers did, but looked to Dib expectantly to see his reaction.
Dib had been thankful when the ride to Zims tower was over, he didn't have anything against Zim being so close to his tank, but the predator inside him said otherwise. It didn't trust Zim yet, and even thought the tallest had been nothing but understanding towards him, he still felt the need to assert his discomfort to the alien. And if he got too close, Dib didn't know if he could stop himself from potentially biting his new roommate. A factoid Zim would no doubt ask about later.
But as they made their way towards wat would be his new room, Dib couldn't help but stare in awe at the magnitude of the tower. It really was huge, a symbol that the tallest lived there. It must say something about Zim, because he felt small compared to the building, and when they entered the premises, Dib had to remember to route the direction on where they entered and how they got to the elevator, because truthfully, the building was built so much like a maze, he wouldn't be surprised if he somehow got lost in this cement jungle.
A quick elevator ride later and down a hall, Dibs room stood before them, and when the doors were pushed open by the accompanying invaders, Dib breath almost choked inside his lungs. His gills giving a happy quiver when his heart fluttered in excitement.
It was magnificent, absolutely magnificent, Dib wasn't sure he had ever seen anything so beautiful.
Looking at the large, floating garden above his tank, Dib couldn't seem to take his eyes off of all the plants. The vibrancy of the shrubbery, even the one large tree in the middle of the garden, with its yellow and purple leaves had Dib almost jumping out of the tank. His tail flapping happily as he looked on at the scene before him. There were mixtures of yellows, pinks, blues, greens, even some orange was splashed into the mix as he looked at the exotic flowers. The leaves on some of the plants would vary between bright blue to the deepest shade of red. There was even a pathway in the garden but it was on the opposite end from the tanks mouth. Meaning you had to swim across the tank to get to it.
Which brought Dibs eyes to the top of the water, seeing what looked like very large lily pads scattered around, covering almost the entire area of the front of the tank. These were all different colors as well, but they were mainly green and pink, some with green on the outside and pink in the middle.
Everything looked like it just came out of a home interior design magazine for aliens who were super rich. Even the skylight seemed to be set so perfectly over the garden that they could accurately watch the sun rise and set over Irk.
"Well?" Zim started to ask when Dib just remained quiet, only looking from his spot in the metal tank. "What do you think?"
Zim was slightly worried that Dib wasn't going to like any of it, and cringed at the notion of making the creature upset. But when Dib turned large, happy eyes at the tallest, Zim new that he had made the right decision with the floating garden. Having worked out all the specifics himself when the construction was still being performed.
Dib had excitedly asked about all of the flowers and what their names were, and then asked about the garden itself and how they got it to stay afloat.
Zim was more than happy to oblige, helping the invader bring the tank to the water's edge so Dib could get into his new home. Not wasting anymore time, Dib curled his tail inwards and before the invaders even got a chance to tip him into the water, Dib had shot out like a coiled cobra striking at prey and flew out into the water.
Zim had also explained that the large leaves on the tops of the water would sink at nighttime and go just under the surface of the liquid. Making it an easy bed for Dib to sleep on, and when morning came they would float back onto the surface and hold their form so Dib could continue to lay on them without the fear of pushing them under. And if someone wanted to get to the garden they only need to walk across the surface of the leaves to get there. Not that Zim was willing to try at this point, but if it became an option later he would gladly apply himself to the open invitation.
"I don't know what to say," Said Dib truthfully, "This is more than I could have ever asked for, even at the labs I didn't have anything this nice."
"But it is to your liking yes?" Zim asked hopefully, not fazed at all by giving the Dib a suitable home. He just wanted to make sure this being was comfortable and wouldn't be in distress anymore.
"Yes it's…. it's perfect Zim…..I, I really do like it." and Dib meant it from the bottom of his heart.
If Zim was willing to go through this much trouble to make sure he was OK, then maybe he thought, maybe being here wouldn't be the worst thing to happen to him.
Probably.
Until next chapter LOL! Read and review you guys and let me know how you like the story so far ^_^
