The ship lurched forward through the enormous metal doors, which immediately began to slowly close behind them. Dib was beside himself with wonder, trying to look at everything at once- the many ships of varying sizes- from large shuttles to small cruisers that resembled Zim's- and the menagerie of interesting aliens that gave pause in the hangar, all eyes fixed on their lone ship, now slowly lowering to the floor. Some of them began to filter away hesitantly, others began wandering closer. Dib could hardly take it all in, already standing and craning his neck in an attempt to see below the ship and above, to the ceiling that stretched still further upward and was crawling with pipes and wires so clustered together and crowded he wondered how they ever maintained them. The door closed completely and sound returned to the hangar, and aliens began to remove helmets and talk among themselves.

They came to a halt, landing gently, and the ship opened, exposing Dib to the group of strange aliens that had come to gather below them, and who now surrounded the ship, all watching in interest and trying to get a better look at them. An officially-dressed alien shouldered through the group, their skin a grayish purple and their uniform a vibrant blue with golden cuffs and a golden sash. They were very tall and rather lean, with four arms all folded in front of them with their four-fingered hands pressed together and tilted forward slightly. Three large eyes protruded from their face, and their mouth was wide and toothy, giving them a rather intimidating appearance. They made a sound like clearing one's throat and the aliens around them drew to attention, with some scurrying away quickly, as if trying to pretend they had been working all along. The ones who remained moved backward, clearing the way for two other similarly-dressed aliens who lacked the gold on their uniforms. One was fairly small, and a light greenish-yellow in color. They had an enormous screw protruding from the top of their head, which was large for their size, and very round. The other was slightly larger and, like the taller alien, had a skin tone that was a grayish-purple in hue. However, this one also had large horns that sprouted from their forehead and curled back over the top of their head, with tiny, beady eyes of a milky white that were slightly sunken in, and legs that bent backwards like a goat's. This one reminded Dib immediately of a strange, demonic satyr, and as Dib observed the three of them, the tall one stepped forward.

They said something in an alien language, and outstretched one of their four arms to Dib, who drew into himself uncertainly, suddenly painfully aware of just how many eyes were on him now that the initial awe had warn off slightly.

"Um... hi," he said quietly, and looked down from Gaz to Zim, suddenly reminded of their presence when Zim hunkered down in the ship, his face stretched in silent horror, and brushed accidentally against Dib's ankle.

The alien made an insistent grunt, pulling Dib's attention back to them, and thrusted their arm forward again. Dib, suddenly dizzy with how new and bizarre this entire experience was, reached forward without thinking, and allowed the alien to help him up out of the ship. Once he had stepped out, the other two moved closer, and the tall alien that had helped Dib now carefully lifted Gaz from the ship and handed her off to the satyr-like alien, who held her with surprising ease, considering the fact that he was probably no more than four feet tall. Dib hovered close, but before he could make a move to carry her instead, there came a loud sound of protest from the ship.

Zim was being yanked none-too-kindly from the cockpit, and was struggling violently as the tall alien snarled at him in the same alien language. Zim screeched back, kicking and even attempting to bite anything that got too close to his face. The screw-headed alien moved between the ship and Dib, Gaz, and the satyr-alien then, and began ushering them away as the crowd started to yell and hiss at the site of Zim, as if ready to tear him apart. They parted for the four of them as the tall alien tried to get control of Zim, and though Dib's throat had gone dry and he longed to jump in and say something, he did nothing and allowed himself to be steered away from the commotion. He twisted back a few times to see if he could get a look at what was happening, and the cold fear that had trickled down into his gut curdled there when he could no longer see Zim at all, but just a mass of diverse species, shouting and spitting angrily while the sounds of Zim's struggling carried across the room.

He was herded away into a hallway adjacent to the crowd, and metal doors hissed shut behind them, cutting off the sound from the hangar. The cold silence of the hallway was not much better, and Dib could still hear the echo of Zim's screams ringing in his ears.

The screw-headed alien muttered something to the satyr, who chuckled and shook their head. They chattered back and forth quietly for a few minutes, occasionally glancing back at Dib, as if to check if he was still there. They led him down a series of halls, sometimes passing a stray alien who looked busy but still curious when they saw Dib and Gaz, and usually they would pause to ask something or stare. It all made Dib feel very uncomfortable and anxious. The wonder had all but left him, and now he was very aware of just how helpless he was out here, surrounded by aliens of all shapes and sizes, in a compound where nobody could understand him. A thought struck him, and he wondered what he would eat out here, or if he would even be fed. He couldn't remember when he had eaten last, now that he thought about it, or when he had last drank, for that matter. What would they do with the two of them, now that they had them? Were they prisoners? Allies? Skoodge had told him not to worry, but Skoodge was not here, and the scene in the hangar had cast this place in an unsettling light for Dib.

Finally, they reached a large set of white doors that swished open, and the inside was a large white room lined with beds that hovered a few feet off the ground. Some had occupants, and were lowered or raised slightly, and others were curtained off entirely. A group of aliens wearing various shades of grey or yellow bustled about, looking at what appeared to be hovering tablets, and some had holograms projected in front of them with diagrams Dib could not make sense of. They looked up as the four of them entered, and an eerie, gray alien with large, slanted eyes of obsidian walked forward, as if they had been waiting for them. This one looked strikingly similar to the aliens popularly sighted on earth, and Dib felt starstruck when he saw them, his mouth dropping open for a moment before he caught himself and closed it. They looked at Gaz and Dib eagerly, and said a few things to the satyr alien before carefully lifting Gaz from the alien's arms. Dib stepped forward uncertainly, but the two aliens herded him back, holding up their hands and shaking their heads at him.

"Wait, but- Gaz!" he called out, but the two continued to push him back.

"She is safe," the grey alien said in a comforting, wispy voice, and Dib was so shocked to hear them speak english that he accidentally allowed the two aliens to push him back out of the room. The doors slid shut on the scene.

Dib blinked, and longed to go back in, but the aliens guiding him were insistent, and so he allowed them to lead him away, unsure what they would do if he disobeyed. He chose to trust the grey alien, and tried to believe that Gaz was safe with them. The two aliens now walked on either side of Dib, as if they were afraid he might run away or wander off. It was a fair assumption to make, but the idea of getting lost in this place felt like a nightmare at this point. He had no idea what kind of aliens lived here, and barely trusted the two accompanying him now.

They moved at a slightly faster pace now, turning down hallway after hallway, and after a very awkward elevator ride, during which many aliens boarded and never left, (presumably because they had not reached their floor yet, though the more crowded the elevator became, the more Dib became convinced it was because they were curious about him) they came to a hallway full of single-doors that were positioned rather closely together. A few aliens called out after them as they left, and the screw-headed alien snarled backward at them as the elevator doors shut, and then they were in silence again. Seeming frustrated, the alien began talking quickly to the satyr alien as they walked swiftly down the hallway, stopping about halfway down in front of one of the doors.

The satyr alien waited patiently for the screw-headed alien to stop ranting, and then opened the door, which slid upwards. Inside was a small room, furnished with a bed, a chair, and not much else. There was a small door at the back, which could have been a closet or a bathroom, and a box near the chair that seemed like it could also function as a table, and had a green light on the front panel. They gestured for Dib to enter, and though he was hesitant, he did. He walked in slowly and looked around himself cautiously, jumping when the aliens addressed him once more, saying something he couldn't understand.

He turned around just as the door slid shut. He was alone.

...

Zim was exhausted.

The violet Sp'lurrian stood across from Zim in the prison chamber, separated by the cell bars. He glowered at Zim, and almost seemed to be grinding his teeth. A dark purple bruise was flowering along the left side of his face, from where Zim had delivered a sharp kick while he was being manhandled. Zim grinned at him, though he was tired, and the Sp'lurrian narrowed his eyes. He opened his mouth, as if to speak, but at that moment, the doors to the chamber opened, and in walked a Lexian shrouded in a black and violet cloak, with eyes of a piercing blue that stood out against their pitch black skin and peeked out from under a large hood. Their mouth opened slightly in a sneer, revealing their thin, pointed teeth, which glittered like stars. They stepped to the side, and a high-pitched voice spoke up, speaking Vortian.

"Thank you, Ixane," a grey Vortian walked in, muttering offhandedly to the Lexian, who nodded, and moved to stand next to the Sp'lurrian. He wore green-tinted goggles for his eyesight, and long, white horns sprouted forth from his scalp and curling back along the curve of his head, almost reaching the base of his skull. Zim's blood began to boil when he saw the Vortian- he recognized him immediately, and the Vortian started and gasped when he looked up- it seemed he recognized Zim, as well. Rather than reacting in anger, Lard Nar's face split into a wide, toothy grin, only serving to darken Zim's mood further.

"Why, it's you!" Lard Nar said, folding his hands behind his back and walking leisurely forward to the bars of Zim's cell. He looked at Zim with something like wonder in his eyes, "I thought they'd have had you executed!"

Zim didn't answer, but continued to seethe at Lard Nar, who waited, as if for a response, and then began to pace.

"There's no need to look so angry, friend. It's me!" here he smiled, and then, after a moment, his smile faded. He paused, then, "I'm Lard Nar, leader of the Resistance. I didn't intend to abandon you- I would have come back for you! But I thought you were an enemy up until you helped me escape, after all," here he hesitated, looking at Zim for some kind of reaction, perhaps hoping he would speak- but again, Zim did not reply. If anything, he appeared to be getting angrier, "Well," Lard Nar sighed, "You look like you've been through quite an ordeal... I hope you're not in too much pain. When I heard that two Earthlings and an Irken named Zim were coming, I never expected... but here you are! It's nice to finally be properly introduced, after all these years," he smiled warmly, and then suddenly, he lit up and spun around, gesturing around himself, and not, it seemed, at just the room they were in, but at the entire base itself, "and look! Look at how far we've come! Just wait until you see the rest..."

Zim stayed silent. The Sp'lurrian and the Lexian called Ixane exchanged a glance, and Lard Nar looked back at them, seemingly looking for some kind of support. Ixane shrugged, and the Sp'lurrian shook his head. Lard Nar turned around again, looking troubled.

"Zim?" he asked, seeming nothing more than innocently curious, "Are you alright? Don't you remember-"

"OF COURSE I REMEMBER!" Zim roared suddenly, heaving forward from the emotion behind his exclamation, "DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY? THAT I'M A JOKE?"

"Zim, old friend, please calm down," Lard Nar took a step back, despite the ropes that still bound Zim, and the bars that separated them, "If I had known it was you- I'm just glad to see you're alive!"

"You should be embarrassed!" Zim shouted, "Embarrassed that you couldn't kill me before you escaped!" Lard Nar fell silent, face drawn in confusion, "You think my failure is a JOKE! You think I am so pathetic I would fall for your disgusting, traitorous LIES! That I would fall as low as SKOODGE!" he spit the name like a curse, and suddenly, Lard Nar understood the miscommunication entirely. He drew himself up, exuding the air of an unfeeling Captain.

"I would rather DIE than have YOU or ANYBODY on this filthy base call me a FRIEND!" he snarled, and there was so much hatred on his face, Lard Nar wondered how he could have ever mistaken this creature for an ally. Zim breathed in and out heavily, looking almost like he was straining against his bindings for air. Lard Nar looked upon him and felt pity.

"Understood," Lard Nar said quietly, "I apologize, then. It seems that we've had a misunderstanding," Zim said nothing, but spit a mixture of saliva and blood at Lard Nar, who sidestepped easily and allowed it to fly past. The Sp'lurrian who had brought Zim here let out a disgusted, angry exclamation. Lard Nar gestured for Ixane to leave, "When Skoodge returns you will be sedated and he will have a look at the damage done to your PAK. You will remain in this cell," he looked around at the room and, with a hint of regret, he said, "Perhaps you will rot here."

With that, he turned to leave, murmuring something to the Sp'lurrian before he left.

"I'll see you rot here!" Zim called after him, though the door had already closed before he'd even finished speaking, "I'll see you all rot!" he cried, but was met only by silence. The Sp'lurrian glared at him quietly from across the room, and Zim sneered back for a little while before he grew tired and exhaled, twisting to lean his side against the wall. He had a moment of thankfulness for the pain medication Dib had given him before they had arrived, and then he closed his eyes.

He thought of Irk. He thought of his little cubicle back at the training academy. He thought of his room, and his annoying roommate, and the little window he'd discovered on the ceiling of the supplies closet after being thrown in there for the tenth time. He thought of the view from the window, a tiny glimpse of the massive inky blackness above and the glittering stars, and he thought of how he used to wonder if the Janitorial Drone had looked out of it with a similar longing to his. The longing to be free, to be flying, to be respected and adored and perhaps even to be loved as much as The Tallest their selves.

He closed his eyes tighter, trying in vain to create the same static that his palms did when he pressed them against his eyes. He felt an itch to pull on his antennae, and tried not to twitch them in discomfort, afraid the Sp'lurrian who was watching over him would notice.

He must have felt the same, Zim decided now, as he opened his eyes just a crack in defeat and stared at the smooth metal wall of his cell, (noting idly that it was lighter than the last cell he'd been in). Anybody who looked through that window would feel the same.


i won't make any promises, but i've got the next few chapters planned out almost entirely, so they should be coming out in smaller intervals for the next few months, at least. one scene i'm very excited for is approaching quickly!

anyway, as always, i hope you enjoyed, and thank you so much for reading! !