Chapter 7: Rats in the Attic
Dib groaned and slowly sat up, his hand automatically reaching for his head. For a moment everything was blurry … except for two dewy eyes. Dib squinted one of his eyes and softly grumbled, "Zeem … eh thah yooooh?"
"Zim says you put it in wrong!" came a voice, the blurry eyes pushed out of the way and replaced by another pair of eyes. The new voice waved a green blur in front of Dib's face, but he couldn't quite discern what it was.
"I did not. You may not believe me, but I was once an Invader, Zim. I know how paks works!" came another deeper, angrier, voice.
"Do you have the brain worms! Even I can tell that you two did something wrong to him. He can't even communicate!" yelled the other voice again.
"Don't get on my nerves, banished smeetling! I was fixing paks before you were created! He's fine!" said the older voice.
"Lies! You lie to ZIM! You just want to destroy my plan and take me back to Foodcourtia! Never!"
Dib merely blinked in confusion as the two blurry figures suddenly merged into one, the sound of yelling and thrashing filling the area. Yet, just as Dib's vision started to come back into focus, another pair of eyes, hidden behind goggles, came into his field of vision. Dib blinked, his mind's fuzziness starting to come to an end.
"Just ignore them," said the new voice, no … it was familiar. He knew that voice. It was associated with pain for some reason. What kind of pain? His mind was still all fuzzy like his memories had been gobbled up by some beast that had been in his dreams.
"Now," said the voice again. "Just hold still while I examine you. You see this light."
There was suddenly a flash of light in both his eyes, making him draw back slightly with a hissed.
"I take it that you can see that. Now, do you feel light headed? Is it hard to respirate? Any pains at all?" said the examiner.
Dib blinked back his confusion, wiggling his fingers and toes. He was immediately freaked out, starting, when he noticed he was missing half of his digits and toes. Yet, before he could properly panic, memories slammed themselves in the back of his mind. No, no, his limbs were supposed to be that way. After all, Zim had turned him into an Irken; an Irken that needed a pak to survive.
A light groan escaped the half-ling as he recalled the painful surgery, and the invasive little tentacles that crawled into his flesh, making him cry out for escape. Then he was beat into the ground a while later by some freak that wouldn't let him leave. Irk, no wonder he was in pain. Groaning again, Dib slowly reclined down onto the berth, covering his eyes with his wrist.
"I hurt all over. I-I think I'm going to take a nap. Tell me when Zim shows up … so I can beat the crap out of him," murmured Dib as he closed his eyes, his mind less foggy now, but still exhausted. He knew Zim told him Invader's didn't need to sleep; the word being need. No one said he couldn't. He was going to sleep even if it took him a half an hour to figure out how to initiate sleep mode. He needed to dream away this hell he was in; even if it was just for a couple of hours. Happiness was happiness, even if one could only have it in their head.
"There will be no sleeping, Dib!" came a growl, the being standing before him roughly pushed away. Next thing the Halfling knew, he was forced into a sitting position, warm red eyes glaring at him. Still slightly disorganized, Dib blinked … before he growled like a kicked dog and punched Zim in the face. Sizz-Lorr and Gritt both cringed backwards as they watched Zim fall to the floor, gripping his mouth.
Zim sat there on the floor for a moment, in shock. He quickly wiped his lips, looking at the green blood now on his sleeve before he yelled, "What the Irk was that for, flesh-beast!"
Dib sat there on the berth, feet still hanging over the edge of the table before he was able enough to collect himself and glared down at his forced companion, "For not telling me just how damn painful insertion of a pak was, and for hiring some local goon to beat the crap out of me if I tried to leave!"
"I was practically born with my pak on so how would I know how bad it would be! And what goo! Zim hired no slimy goo to watch you!" shouted the other as he rose to his feet, teeth bared and fists ready.
Dib shook his head, still a little fuzzy, but at least there wasn't that exhausted in his body. He felt … strong, if not a little numb. His pak was making him stronger, yet sleepy because it was removing any unwanted traces of his past life … it was removing what was left of his humanity. Sighing, Dib pushed backed all the feelings of discomfort, numbness, hate, rage, and focused on the one thing he truly wanted: revenge.
"I said goon you nimrod, and you deserved that punch to the face!" snapped Dib, more harshly then he meant to, making Zim stare at him in surprise. Sighing, Dib strangely found himself regretting his sour tone … it was unwise to push away ones allies. Growling in his throat, Dib rubbed his eyes trying to regain his sight. He really wanted that nap, but he had better things to do. Pinching the place where his nose use to be, Dib pretended he hadn't just acted like a femme having PMS.
"Where were you anyway, Zim? I thought we are on a schedule? I don't plan on … remaining … this way, and the sooner I gut the Tallest – their blood beneath my fingers – the sooner I can fade into the darkness happy."
Zim's antennae rose. D-did Dib just insinuate what he thought he did? Yes, it was an honorable thing for a soldier to commit suicide or banish themselves, but not Dib. Dib was far too noble of a warrior to end it in such a way. H-he wouldn't allow it! True, he hadn't thought much of what was going to happen to Dib after they overthrew the Tallest, but he just presumed that Dib would remain in his service. What else was he going to do? Well, it seemed that he had underestimated the Halfling once more … Dib always had a way of surprising him. Straightening, he bit his tongue to keep his inner thoughts just that. He didn't need Sizz-Lorr seeing his weakness, his admiration for such an opponent. Well, he'd just change Dib's mind … one way or the other.
"We'll see about that Dib-worm, but right now let's move on from your melodrama because we need go over the plan that could only come from Zim's greatness!" said Zim, a grin rising on his face as he tried to regain his status of leader in this small band of misfits.
Everyone groaned in the room, knowing that this was going to be a long day of stupidity, but Zim surprised them all by … pulling out a small purple orb.
"And this is the key to Zim's success," said the Irken as he showed off the thing as if it were a treasure. Gritt seemed confused, Dib slapped a hand over his mouth as if trying to protect his mouth from something, and Sizz-Lorr's jaw dropped in surprise.
"H-how did you get a hold of that? Only the Control Brains … there's no way," said the fry cook in disbelief.
Zim's grin grew, "Zim has his connections. Plus, I've been audience to the Control Brains more often then you, fry cook! They not even notice Zim brilliance … of course, Zim always thought he'd get Taller on his own … not because of Dib's human food filth!" said Zim, his glare very obvious. "No matter now. Dib-stink, come here. This is for you."
Dib shook his head, his legs shakily hitting the floor as he dropped from the examination table. Those things were disgusting; he would not allow another one in his mouth. "No. I'm not putting anything in my mouth."
For some reason, both Zim and Sizz-Lorr started to laugh. Dib put on a confused, slightly frightening expression. He didn't like where this was going. Standing up straight, Dib growled, "What's so funny! What is that thing?"
Sizz-Lorr was now laughing so hard he was leaning against one of the walls. Zim had stopped laughing though, a grin now on his face, "So scared of such a good thing, Dib. This is a core-height-circuit. It is the necessary upgrade that only certain tall Irkens get. It is the upgrade needed to for all Advisors … so that they are eligible to become a temporary Tallest themselves if the Tallest suddenly die. The Advisors also collect and recommend names of eligible tall Irkens that can qualify to be Tallest. You, Dib, once the Tallest are gone will convince the other Advisors into nominating none other than me as the next Tallest."
Sizz-Lorr stopped laughing, his eyes almost going as wide as Dibs, "What! You never said any of this to me, just revenge! You're a food service drone! You don't qualify!"
Dib also cried out at the same time, "You never said anything about becoming the next Tallest! I thought this was just revenge … you never said anything about …"
"Silence," Zim yelled as he shifted his eyes into a low gaze, looking down at the slightly shorter fry-cook and ignoring Dib completely, "Yes I do qualify, fry cook. The Control Brains look at service records, not reputations. Besides, I filled all the obligations: science, real field battle, exploration, public services, and finally I know I'm well over the height of any of the current Advisors. I will be the next Tallest."
He then turned a cold gaze to Dib, the human slightly frightened by the determination in them, "And you really have not room to complain, fleshling. I'm giving you your revenge, but the only way I can save the rest of humanity is if I am the one giving the commands. Now, be a nice little Halfling and come … here."
Here …
Here …
"He-here, give me this wire. No, yes, that one. Move. I know what I'm doing. The Tallest is stable," said a voice. Blue wanted to shy away from it; to scream at it to be silent, but all he could do was feel the darkness with a warmth crawling up his back. He'd just be still for now. Everything hurt. He just needed to rest.
"Are you sure he's alright?" asked Nave as he resisted the urge to shift. The Tallest's weight was finally starting to settle on him with his lord's head on his shoulder while the medic continued to work with Blue's pak. Nave wouldn't complain though. The medical drone, Lepo, was in a really foul mood. It wasn't often that a Tallest was in need of his services, but when one just collapsed he was to be called immediately. No one else was supposed to be snooping around in the Tallest's pak or anything of that nature unless he was dying. Not even this Sizz-Lorr character who had thought that Blue was merely having a case of organ exhaustion, and tried to turn it back on before the wait time was over.
Lepo grumbled and glared at the General who now was sporting a shiner: from the medic personally when he had tried to check his Tallest's pak mere moment ago. The General, in fact, kept looking back at Blue nervously as he continued his onslaught on the Ark, trying to keep the Armada in one piece. The medic would acknowledge that Sizz-Lorr was a good General, but not a good a medic. The idiot had almost turned back on Tallest Blue's pak! The mountain must have turned off his pak enough times fighting the Ark to know what organ exhaustion looked like and the symptoms didn't include screaming at the top of one's lungs in agonizing pain and collapsing. At least that's what the Advisor and the Interrogator had told him. In fact, from the claw marks on Blue's head, it looked like he was in mental agony: something that happened from time to time if the memory core of the pak was affected.
"You two!" cried the medic as he slammed the Tallest's pak shut, glaring at two of the Tallests' large personal guards. "Hurry and take his Tallest to his quarters and plug him in to his bed's life support. I think his pak has been damaged by the magnetic attack."
All the Advisors gasped as well as half the room … the ones that could spare the breath that is, being that the wait time was still in effect. But none were quit as surprised as Sizz-Lorr, the large mountain nearly tumbling over to the medic.
"I-I turned off his pak! I know I did!" he said in near hysteria.
Lepo glared at the shaken mountain and simply said, "No one said you didn't. You did the proper procedure to turn off a pak from what I can tell … but it seems that Tallest Blue had special upgrades. There were a few components that were programmed not to turn off."
The Advisors all threw around worried looks, their sights all landing back on the medic, wanting more of an answer. Finally, Pixen spoke, voicing everyone's concern, "W-we don't have any spare paks for an Irken the size of the Tallest, and we can't get to planet Irk in time to get a new one… are you telling me he is going to die?"
The medical drone sighed, shaking his head, "I-I don't know. I need to look over the pak a little more. Maybe it isn't as damaged as I think it is. Either way, I won't know until I get him back to his room for a proper examination … which won't happen if you two keep standing around like idiots! Get over here!"
Sizz-Lorr could only stand there in horror as the two body guards slowly slung there lord and master over their shoulders. He could only shudder as a realization started to grow in his chest. The pak hadn't turned itself off completely … because that was the only way to keep Dib at bay. It would make sense. The part never turned off or took a rest; the closest thing it probably got to turning off was probably when Blue went in sleep mode … which explained the dreams. It also explained why Dib woke so often … even paks would wear out or overheat if it never got a rest. That's why beds were equipped with added life support, to give paks a partial rest.
The ex-fry cook didn't know if that realization was a good or bad thing. Perhaps it meant that only the inhibitor that kept Dib at bay was destroyed and that Blue would be fine physically. But that left another problem … would the medic notice what the part was? Ugh, if the Control Brains found out about it there might be an inquiry on Tallest Zim, asking him if he was trying to influence his co-leader. That's why there were usually two of Tallest, after all. They were supposed to keep each other in check.
Or … worse: Blue could be discovered and his origins. Tightening, the General took a step forward, ready to think up a reason for why he had to come along when one of the Advisors suddenly stepped in his way, his nearly black eyes becoming sharp slits.
"I believe the Tallest's last command is still in effect, Sizz-Lorr," said Dimm, the eldest Advisor, as he rose to his feet and took a stance in front of the moving mountain. There wasn't something right here. True, he had been thinking that since the two current Tallest had taken rule. Well, not both of the Tallest. True, there was certainly something wrong with Tallest Blue. He couldn't put a claw on it though. It was not uncommon for more intelligent Irkens to have unruly minds even during sleep-mode and his strange … characteristics … were probably due to prolong exposure to an alien species he was observing or conquering. Not that those characteristics really bothered Dimm. After all, just minutes ago, Tallest Blue had just sacrificed over his own command to the ship knowing what was best for the Armada.
Zim would have been an idiot about the situation and tried to fend off Membrane by himself. But knowing Zim … he probably knew some secret weakness about the humans. It had been his planet that the resistance had come from, after all. Yah, Dimm still remembered that. He was the oldest Advisor here and one with a photographic mind. He remembered Earth and sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if all Zim's secrets led back to the planet. In spite of everything, its existence was almost completely removed from the universe except a few lingering souls like Membrane and an old advisor's memory. A memory that needed to be satisfied. Perhaps Membrane was so persistent in his vow to destroy the Tallest not just because of the loss of their home world but because of something personal, something that the slimy monkey would spill with a little torture. His Tallest had asked for the specimen to be alive, after all.
"Did you not hear me?" said Dimm as he took a step forward, his robes shifting as he drew in closer to the moving mountain. He stood there a minute, looking down. He barely towered over Sizz-Lorr but he knew his cold eyes would get the job done anyway.
"Yes, I did," said Sizz-Lorr, his shock being replaced by irritation. "But I need to make sure his Tallest is …"
"You don't need to do …."
"INCOMING!" came a cry from the pilots den, one of the small Irkens turning around and looking at Sizz-Lorr with wide eyes. "The Ark just sent a small ship to ram …"
The ship lurched, beeping exploding from the pilots' dens. Soon, one of them was crying out which sectors had been breached and that they were trying to get those areas cut off. The Advisors that had rushed over to their Tallest reluctantly departed back to the stations they abandoned. Dimm glaring at Sizz-Lorr, but before he could even demand anything of the larger Irken, he was back at the reins, his voice echoing over the walls. The dark-eyed Advisor glared for a moment, before he rallied the large guards to take their Tallest away. He was going with the medic because he knew that Blue's pak was going to reveal some hidden truth, and he was going to be there to witness it.
He only hoped that he got all the information he needed before Tallest Zim returned. Knowing him, Zim already knew about the attack on the Massive and was burning out an engine in a rush to get here and hide whatever it was that he did to Blue. Yes, he knew Zim was doing something to Blue's pak, and if Zim was the cause of this present catastrophe, there'd be hell to pay. It was practically treason to admit that an Irken liked one Tallest over the other so Dimm never said anything … but Tallest Zim could easily be replaced. In fact, he was the Tallest Advisor there; he could always take Zim's place if he wanted too.
…
There was absolute chaos raging through the Massive being that the ship itself was under attack and that the ship had been physically rammed. So it would be understandable that no one would notice the clang from overhead or notice that the kamikaze pilot was no longer in the small ship that had rammed into the Massive. No, the pilot was one of the Resistance's best. She was quick in her actions, seeming to come and go with the very shadows. She was also cold hearted, lacking any emotions except that glint of hate in her eyes. Some said she was a demon, others that she was a spirit of a human which was wandering the universe for revenge. She was darkness. She was fear. She was going to be the end of Tallest Blue.
Kicking out one of the air vents, she fell to the floor soundless. Slowly, she rose to her near full height, her purple hair glinting in the artificial lights from above. Gaz pulled her hands into fists, her eyes narrowing as she looked down the hall. Dad had wanted to send another, but she had told him … I want them to suffer the way I did. Dad did not stop her, because he knew she was the best. She was the Resistance's best assassin, and she was going to get retribution for her brother.
"I'm going to make you pay," she whispered as she took a step forward, her shoes barely making a sound as all the lights seemed to dim due to her very presence.
XXX
Paw07: Yep, I take forever, I know, but at least you Gaz fans get to see how she will get to play in this. Also, because lord knows I forget my own OC's from time to time I decided to put up a list for you and me. XD
OC Reminders:
Borit: an Irken with pink eyes and is the Chief Researcher who showed up in chapter four assisting Blue with a dissection
Dimm: a rather tall and older Advisor with nearly red-black eyes, shows up in chapter six
Gritt: voritan scientist on planet Dirt which inserted Dib's pak, shows up in chapter four
Lepo: the Tallests' personal physician and the Armada's CMO, shows up in chapter seven and notices something's wrong with Blue's pak
Nave: a tall Irken Interrogations Officer who showed up in chapter two, stopping Blue from hiding in the servants' quarters
Pixen: one of Blue's Advisors who showed up in chapter three, nursed Blue back to health after Zim finished fishing in Blue's pak
Ta-Boo: one of Blue's Advisors which is the newest and shortest of the advisors, showed up in chapter five and told Blue of the Ark
