It's Never Too Late
By: Moojuice Nne of the Mayonnaise!
Thank you for waiting patiently until my return from my cousin's funeral! Nne is very grateful.
Thank you to Sheepchi, Ashsema, Crusader Ari and Flying Metal Child for your reviews! Mucho appreciacio…never mind. After a year of Spanish classes, the only thing I can say is:
Voy al ciudad y lavar en el bisteq!
For those of you who don't know espanol, it means "Go to the city and wash in the steak."
SCHOOL IS OUT!!! YAY! Road trips for everyone. ROAD TRIPS FOR NNE!
As I have not gotten any reviews on how to improve this fic, then I'll assume that I am doing an okay job. It's all because of the YooHoos! Sing the YooHoo jingle with me!
If you need a drink, I know what you can drink!
YOOHOOS, YOOHOOS, THEY BE A WONDERFUL DRINK!
YOOHOOS, EVEN PIRATES LIKE THEM!
If you love chocolate milk,
BUT CAN'T HAVE MILK 'CAUSE YOU ARE LACTOSE INTOLERANT,
HAVE A YOOHOO!
HAVE A YOOHOO!
I don't even know if lactose intolerants can have them…don't get mad at me!
I endorse lactose intolerance!!
(whips out a gallon of soy milk and takes a large swig out of it)
OH MY GOD, THAT IS NASTY!! HWAAARRRGGG!!
I hope you enjoyed that jingle. Now, on with the seventh chapter!
Chapter Seven: From the Rear, They Come
…
…
I…
…I am…
A…Alive…?
Deep in the underbelly of the Massive, inside the Vaults of the Leaders, Purple's body stirred. Inside the liquid-filled test tube, the regal mauve-eyed Tallest began to slowly awaken. One hand twitched slightly, and the fingers flexed weakly. His eyes, staring blankly forwards, began to lose their blind look. His mind, though, was still fogged over with the absence of memory.
No.
…I can't…
I can't be.
His slurred movement stilled, and his eyes clouded over once more.
I will try not to breathe.
I can hold my head still with my hands at my knees.
These eyes are the eyes of the old, shiver and fold.
I will try not to breathe.
This decision is mine, I have lived a full life
And these are the eyes that I want you to remember…
I need something to fly over my grave again.
…No. I am alive!
But how can this be?
Once again, Purple's muscles contorted and clenched, unused to movement. His antennae twitched upwards and stayed there, quivering alertly. The pod on the Tallests back flashed suddenly, and his dark violet eyes were flooded with life. Purple's mouth opened, and a small bubble of air escaped his throat.
A…live…
I need something to breathe.
I will try not to burden you.
I can hold these inside.
I will hold my breath until all these shivers subside.
Just look in my eyes.
Back on Irk…
Mim stormed down the carpeted hallway of the capital, her hood pulled over her head and her robe flapping at her heels. Following her were two more advisors with covered heads. They held an unconscious Peprik between them, dragging her along after them. Mim's eyes were wide with confused anger, but her mouth was set in a hard, angry line. Other occupants of the halls stepped to the side and watched as the small procession hurried down to the Communications Room.
Mim halted as she reached the doorway of her destination. The hologram showed the head and shoulders of a stern-looking Planet Jacker. Mim glared angrily back at him. "YOU! What is going on here? There are more problems dealing with the bastard's death than there are in the entire Empire! What is it now?"
The Planet Jacker, although he didn't appreciate the sarcasm that had been launched at him, was forced to make his point blunt. "It is confirmed, Advisor Mim. The Osodo-Jacker Virus has not been a proven kill factor for Irkens. In fact, we do have a case of an Irken that had been subjected to the virus and still lives today."
Mim couldn't believe her ears. Her jaw dropped open, and she had to swallow several times before she could squeak out, "You…you mean…Tallest Purple…Tallest Pur..isn't…dead?"
"Affirmative." The Planet Jacker's eyes sparkled with interest. "And you put him in a glass coffin anyway?"
"But…but he has to be embalmed, right? Yes, that's it! He's dead because his blood is gone. We have nothing to worry about. Why didn't I think of this before?"
During this conversation, Peprik began to drift awake. Her head throbbed sharply, and daggers of pain sliced through her body as she attempted to move. She could feel her eyes try to well up with tears, but she must have been too weak or too dehydrated to cry, for none came. She opened one bleary eye and looked at her shoulder. The cloth around it was dark red and still a bit moist. She winced. They didn't patch me up, she thought despairingly. Hearing voices, she looked up and saw the looming form of Mim standing in front of a screen. "…Nothing to worry about. Why didn't I think of this before?"
The Planet Jacker raised an eyebrow at Mim. "Are you sure that he is embalmed?"
"Absolutely. Why, I'll even call over the Mortician to verify the fact." Mim's voice was lilting with confidence. She leaned forwards towards a speaker and pressed a red button. "Chief Mortician Ler, please report to the Communications Room on the fourth floor immediately."
Peprik dropped her head. Mim was still plotting against Purple even after his death. She swallowed, wincing as her sandpaper-dry throat burned even more. Presently, she heard the quick footsteps of the Chief Mortician enter the room. Mim shoved him forwards. "Now, Ler, I want you to tell this Planet Jacker about Almighty Tallest Purple's burial. Your assistants embalmed him, correct?"
"I cannot tell you that," Ler said submissively. "My squad didn't perform the ceremony."
"What?!"
Mim snatched the Mortician up by the collar and held him up over her head. "You'd better have a good explanation for this, Ler, or else I'm going to rip your head off of your shoulders!"
Ler's eyes began to tear up in fear. "Uhh…you…when my staff began to perform the process of the burial, they were told by several of your Advisory Board members to let them do it. We had just started embalming the right arm, but we were kicked out before we could do any more."
"Did my staff finish the embalming?"
"The process is very complicated…"
"TELL ME!"
Ler bit his lower lip. "…No…"
There was a good five minute time span of silence before Mim began speaking again. "Well…that puts a heavy toll on my plans," she hissed, throwing Ler to the ground and turning towards the amused Planet Jacker. "Tell me, what are the effects of the Osodo-Jacker Virus?"
The Planet Jacker smiled brightly. "Well, the first effects are related to heart attacks—feeling of tightness in the chest, trouble breathing, and palpitations. Mind you, this is a Planet Jacker's virus, so the symptoms might vary between races. Next, the virus manifests itself as a white pasty substance on the different organs—"
"Okay, okay! Just tell me what the final outcome of the virus is!"
"The Virus replaces all of the organs in the victim's body with new ones."
Mim cocked an eyebrow. "WHAT?"
"I will not repeat myself," the Planet Jacker said firmly. "Your Almighty Tallest has not died, just gone into a sort of…hibernation due to the destroying of all of his internal organs and the formation of new ones."
"That's…just…gross. Do you really need a virus like that?"
The Planet Jacker nodded. "Every three years all of our internal organs wear out. We need to be subjugated to this Osodo-Jacker Virus in order to replenish them. Otherwise, we die. Even though your Tallest's organs were fine, they were re-made anyway. How long has he been 'dead'?"
Mim was staring straight ahead, her eyes glazed a bit, her mouth hanging open. Ler answered the Planet Jacker for her. "He's been on display for about a year now."
"Then he should be waking up real soon. You'd better do something about him, and quickly."
Mim heaved a heavy, troubled sigh. "All right…do you have a record of the other Irken who survived the exposure to the Osodo-Jacker Virus?"
The Planet Jacker disappeared from view for a little bit. Then, a picture of an Irken showed up on the screen. The Planet Jacker's face appeared as a small thumbnail in the corner. The Irken in the picture was standing in an Invader's uniform and holding the Irken flag, with rock-hard determination on his face. His lower lip was sticking out a little, and his large, flashing red eyes burned with excitement. By the design of the Irken insignia on the flag, the picture was taken long before Operation Impending Doom II. Mim stared up at the picture. Then, her lips twisted up in a light smile. "Well, well," she whispered, reading the name that appeared next to the picture. "Invader Zim."
The Advisors behind Mim each gasped softly. Mim turned to them, grinning broadly. "This has gotten very interesting. No wonder I've never heard of the other case of the Virus. Zim isn't even worth mentioning."
Mim suddenly decided to jump into action. "Well, Planet Jacker, thank you very much for the assistance you've given us. Unfortunately, we won't be turning to you to do any more assassination attempts. As soon as I figure out a way to cut off Purple's life for good, I'll deal a mighty blow to your planet that you'll never forget!"
The Planet Jacker's eyes widened and he began to protest, but the emerald eyed Advisor cut the transmission and whirled around to her fellow Advisors, a smirk upon her face. To her surprise, however, they both were knocked unconscious, twitching on the tiled floor. The door behind them was open; Peprik was gone. Mim snarled harshly and ran out of the room, leaving a terrified Ler to stare at the two robed Irkens who were crumpled on the floor.
By now, Peprik was hobbling towards her office, which wasn't that far away. As soon as she had heard that Purple would be waking up soon, she had grabbed the Advisors that held her by the bases of their antenna and yanked them backwards. As they fell to the floor, she had made her escape, just before Mim cut the transmission with the Planet Jacker.
Mim got halfway down the hallway before she stopped and forced herself to calm down. "I can get all of this to work in my favor," she said aloud, closing her eyes and taking several deep, shaky breaths. "First, I have to make sure that no one knows about Zim's exposure to the Virus, even though I doubt anyone will bother to remember him. Then…I have to find Peprik and use her to lure the Massive back here…and that will mean changing the plans for the Elite Forces." The Advisor whirled on her heel and darted back to the Communications Room. She pressed a few buttons on the console, and then spoke quietly but sweetly into the microphone. "Commander Era of the Elite Force Division, please respond."
The screen flickered on, and a tired-looking orange-eyed Tallest appeared on the screen. As soon as he saw Mim, he crossed his fingers and thrust them up to the screen. "Take that, you cheating bastard! Where are your men taking us?"
Mim clicked her tongue. "But Era, you know what our plans were. You opted to go on this mission, did you not?"
Era's orange eyes narrowed into small slits. "I was not told that we were going to destroy the Massive, for God's sake! It was enough that we had to blow up the hangar. Why don't we just lure the Massive back to Irk and make Red sign some sort of form that gives the Advisory Board the power? If we destroy the Massive, there will be no empire left!"
Mim nodded encouragingly. "Good thinking, Era. That is just why I called you. I changed my mind. Don't destroy the Massive, please. Just bring it swiftly back to Irk. It should be past the Triply Binary by now."
Era was suspicious. "Why the sudden change of plans? I've never known you to be so agreeable."
Mim shrugged. "Well, I guess I'm in a good mood today. Oh, and Era, can you do one more thing before you bring the Massive back?"
"What is it?"
"If the rest of the Fourth Armored Division gets in your way, annihilate them all. Let Red see just what the Advisory Boards can control."
Era disappeared. Mim exited the Communications Room again and smiled contentedly. "I have to go talk to Ren," she said happily, and walked down the hall humming to herself.
On the Massive
Almighty Tallest Red stared at the blank faces of the Advisors that were sitting around the table. Their hoods were drawn over their heads, throwing their faces into shadow. Only their luminous eyes could be visible.
Red crossed his arms. "I know that many of you plotting against me. I found out about your friend Mim's idea to send the Elite Force Division after us. They blew up the hangar three days ago. Now, did any of you know about this?"
No answer.
"None of you knew? Really! Whew, I was afraid that I was the only one in the dark here." Red's sarcasm was blunt. Several Advisors looked around, uncomfortable. They had been assured that their plans would not be revealed.
"Your leaders are plotting to kill me." Red said, drawing himself up to his full height. "I have a sneaking suspicion that they killed Purple too, in some way or another. But I have a little trick up my sleeve for them. Would you like to hear it?"
No one made a sound. Red flicked his antennae up and said dangerously, "I have the training of a Tallest. If Mim and Ren were counting on me to be stupid, they have made a very nasty blunder."
Red's antennae were quivering. "I think they thought Purple was stupid, too. I'll tell you something. Purple was smarter, more loyal, and braver than both of your bastard Advisory leaders a million times over!" The Tallest slammed a fist down on the table. The Advisors jumped simultaneously. Red was smashing their confidence in Ren and Mim's plans. "Go tell that to your friends back on Irk—I'm sure they'll put together another plan for you to follow."
Stony silence answered Red's fury. The crimson-eyed Tallest sighed and closed his eyes. "You are dismissed."
The Advisors quickly got up out of their chairs and scuttled out of the room. Red sank down in a chair and leaned his forehead against the tabletop. Nothing was going right for him. He was on a ship full of traitors and dead Tallests. Potluck was in critical condition in the ICU, and he hadn't been able to get in touch with either Yoma or Peprik.
"Purple," Red muttered, "If you could've waited a little longer…I would have told you how much I really relied on you."
Getting up from the table, Red hovered over to the large, backwards facing window and looked out onto the Fourth Armored Division's lower ranks. Then, looking towards the farther reaches of space, the Tallest saw something that made his blood boil. A long line of twinkling red figures was approaching the Massive. They were still several thousand miles away, but the red color that he saw told Red that they were taxing their engines at their full speed. They were ambushing the Massive.
"The Elite Force Division," Red breathed. "They've come…"
…
…
I…have to get out…somehow.
Something…feels wrong.
If…If I could just…
…Get out of here…
Much of the plot is unraveling, but we still have a lot of fanfiction left! See the Elite Force Division strike in Chapter 8! Oh, by the way, the bold, italicized song lyrics at the beginning of this song are from the song "Try Not to Breathe" by R.E.M. in their CD, Automatic for the People.
