Today was not a good day, the Professor decided. He'd been reprimanded--him! The world's greatest scientist!--for forgetting a basic component of a crucial solution. He'd been directed to take time off and get his head on right. He clenched the steering wheel of his car, furious. Why couldn't they understand, only work put his head on right! Sending him away would make a wreck of him. He glanced up just in time to slam his brakes, stopping inches short from hitting a punk-looking teenager with red eyes. The boy had been crossing the road, toting several stuffed bags, several of which he had dropped.
"Watch where you drive your vehicle, hyuman!" He bent to pick up the bags, muttering.
Professor Membrane just sat there, confused, as his son appeared and hurried to help the boy.
"Son? What are you doing here? Who is that strange child?"
Dib flashed a nervous grin. "Nobody, just a friend, Dad. We're on our way to camp, we'll be gone for a month or so. Bye." He loaded his friend with luggage and shoved him off.
Membrane blinked. "Well... I can drive you to your stop or to the camp--"
"Thanks for the offer, Dad, but we've got it under control, don't worry now. See you at home, bye!" Dib hurried his friend, and both stumbled around the corner, out of sight.
The Professor's eyes narrowed. Something didn't feel right. True, he only knew a little about his son, but even with the little he knew, he could tell that this wasn't normal behavior. Usually his son would at least rant about saving the Earth before running off like that... and who was that boy? He'd never seen Dib with that boy before... hastily, he parked on the side of the road and set off in the direction he'd last seen them take.
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"If that's your plan," Zim grumbled, shoving the last of the baggage in the ship, "We're doomed."
"YAAAAAAY!" GIR shrieked, hopping around in his bunny disguise.
"No, GIR, that's bad."
"Awwww."
"Fine," Dib returned, "What's your great plan?"
"My brilliant plan is to figure out a brilliant plan on our way there, now are you coming or not?"
"Yeah, I'm coming. Just getting the last of the water."
The Irken shuddered. "Hyumans and their need to guzzle this filthy poison, I will never understand. GIR! Stop chewing on that bush, we have to go!"
"Master, there's a puppy innit! A big white puppy!"
"Leave the filthy earth-mongrel alone, we have to go." Annoyed, he picked up the squirming robot and dumped him in the ship. Hopping aboard, he waited for Dib, checking the instrument panel. "Are you sure it's in good working order?"
Dib grunted, pulling himself up. "Of course I'm sure, I checked it five times. And don't make some smart remark about me being human and unable to understand Irken technology, I've figured out nearly all the controls."
Zim smirked. "We'll see." As Dib stepped in, the ship tipped backward a bit. Zim raised an antenna. "Weighing more than usual?"
Startled by the shift, Dib mumbled, "What? No, that was weird. Maybe the ship is off balance."
"YAAAAAAAAAAAY!"
"Or maybe GIR's just jumping around," he groused, strapping himself into a seat. "How long till we find the Massive?"
The clear, dome-like shield lowered, sealing them in. "We have to lock on its location first, it could be anywhere in the universe. It all depends on which planet they're trying to conquer, but this ship should have access to the Irken Information Network."
"Will it let us IIN?" Dib quipped.
He was met with a blank stare. "It should, why?"
Dib shook his head. "Nothing, forget it. Would you drop the hologram already? It's creeping me out, and no one will see you where we're going anyway."
"Aren't you demanding today," Zim growled, as the disguise melted away. He pressed a few buttons and pulled back on a lever, easing the ship up into the air. Seconds later, they'd passed through the atmosphere, and were in orbit. Several displays in English lettering popped up. Zim glared at Dib, who shrugged sheepishly. With a few adjustments, Zim had returned the words to Irkish, and scanned through them.
"It seems the Tallests have turned their efforts on the Meekrob. That's two weeks journey with this ship." He sighed, entering coordinates into the autopilot. "Let's hope it's long enough to formulate a proper plan."
Dib chuckled. "Well, with the genius superbaby and the pompous alien working together, there's no way anything could go wrong."
"I am not pomped!"
Dib rolled his eyes. "This is going to be a long two weeks."
"DALMATIONS!!!!!" Shrieked GIR. He dragged a large white bundle from the back by its tail. "I found my white puppy! It's got black spots, see?" He shoved the tail in Dib's face. The boy stared. It was awfully jagged for a tail. The rear was bald, too, so what--
Zim hissed, "Fool! How dare you bring your parental unit, this was not part of the plan!"
Shocked, Dib realized the "tail" GIR was clutching was his father's hair. "GIR, leggo!" He caught the Professor and patted his cheeks, trying to wake the unconscious man. "What did you do?"
GIR grinned. "I patted him on the head!"
Sure enough, Dib found a lump starting to form on the side of his Dad's head. He groaned. "Zim, I didn't bring him, I swear! He must have sneaked on board."
Punching the seat cushion furiously, Zim spat, "We can't take him back! We've left Earth's orbit, and it would take days to fight the momentum we've built up."
Glumly, Dib started dragging his father back toward the rear of the ship. "Well, at least another 'great mind' is aboard. Maybe he'll know what to do."
