Chapter 20 – Worse'er Left Forgotten

Baby: 4.1 weeks; 29 days
ETA Irk: - days

With the machine turned off, it was easier to think, but Zim felt like he was forgetting something. O well that didn't matter right now. For now he just needed to get out of there.

Lard Nar stared at Zim. "Explain to me why I should trust you?"

Zim shrugged and winced as his raw wrists rubbed against his shackles. "You want to free your planets. I want to keep a certain one safe. I have as much stake in stopping the empire as you do." The words just kept coming out of his mouth. What unnerved Zim the most was he wasn't really sure why he was saying them. It's not right what the empire is doing? "Help me and Vort and Irk can go back to being allies like in the past. You'll have your planet and your people back."

The Vortian stared at him for a while. "Do you think you can overthrow your leaders?"

"I'm the same height as them. There's no reason why the Control Brains wouldn't enforce an equal part of the Irken Rule to me."

"Do you believe that others of your kind will follow you? After all we both know how much your kind loves power."

Zim nodded. Of course he knew this. He was the one sent to conquer Earth. Would it be better to rule through fear or through trust? Fear meant you had enemies like this hideous Vort always trying to steal your glory. If they trust you, you could make them do whatever you wanted!

"I want to help. Can't we talk about this like civilized goo-sacks." Zim lowered his antennae trying to look as innocent as possible. Lard Nar glared up at him then gave a signal for Zim's restraints to be removed. The chains unlatched from his wrists and the dome around his PAK hissed as it opened.

Zim extended his robot arms out of PAK and checked a few more things to see what damage that accursed machine had done. Everything seemed to be in order. He rubbed his wrists and found they were oozing a bit. That would heal soon enough though.

Lard Nar turned halfway to the door, "Come let's talk about this elsewhere," and he started to make his way to the door.

"No I don't think that is going to happen." Zim had slammed the Vortian against the wall before Lard Nar even knew what hit him. "Filth, Did you really think the Mighty Irken Race would even consider helping you trash!? You all deserve to be destroyed! You should feel honored that The Almighty Tallests have let you live as long as they have."

Soldiers of the Resisty ran in with lasers pointed at Zim. Despite the nagging feeling that he was forgetting something, Zim felt better than he had in a long time. He felt overwhelming confidence. Nothing could stop him. He would make his Tallests proud!

In a deserted Hallway:
"Ok GIR. Which way now?" Kam and Dib stared at the little robot who was their best chance at finding their Irken friend. After they had repaired him it had taken a few minutes to get him to sit still long enough to understand that Zim needed help. 'My Master Needs Me!' He had yelled. GIR had broken down the door and led them through the ship. At first he had been in duty mode but now as his eyes turned their usual cyan blue he was getting distracted.

"Which way to Zim?" Dib pressured the robot.

GIR looked both directions down the corridor. "Umm… I think he's this way." He pointed up through the ceiling. Dib mumbled something that sounded like 'spastic robot' then suggested they just pick a direction and forget GIR leading.

Kam shook her head. "GIR is programed to be able to locate Zim from his PAK." Turning to GIR she said, "GIR Do you know where Zim is?"

GIR nodded happily then looked sad, "Master don't feel right. It's like a moose in a bowl of jelly. I LIKE JELLY!" He screamed the last part then latched himself to Kam's leg. She looked down at the silly robot.

"What do you mean not right? Is he hurt?"

GIR shook his head, rubbing his face against her pant leg. "He's so happy he gonna explode! Like that time with the moose and my walnuts. Or when we was goin out for Tacos!" Kam just raised an eyebrow.

"Moose…" Dib said scratching his head. "And Walnuts!? You mean when he sent us through a wormhole to the room with a moose? Is that right GIR?" The robot nodded happily.

Kam looked back and forth at the two of them clearly confused. "What moose? What tacos? Dib what is he talking about?"

"I know this sounds crazy I think GIR is saying Zim is acting like he was back when he was trying to destroy the earth. Is that what you mean GIR?"

"TACOS!" The robot yelled nodding.

"Dib what are you talking about!? How could you know that?"

"Just listen, back when Zim was trying to destroy the earth he sent me and the rest of the class into space and he tried to send us through a worm hole to a room with a moose. I know it sounds crazy but he was so confident that plan would work. We talked about some of his plans after we became friends and we both agreed that was his best one." Kam looked at Dib like he needed a strait jacket.

"What does that have to do with right now?"

"Don't you get it?" Dib glanced up and down the hallway, "Gir says Zim is feeling the same thing he was when he launched me into space. Confidence of Victory. It means he's ok and we just need to meet up with him and get the heck out of here." Kam was still stuck on the Moose thing but hearing that Zim was ok was some comfort.

The floor beneath them began to shake. "MY MASTER!" GIR yelled. His eyes turned red and he dashed off; Kam and Dib following close behind.

Go GIR! Go!
Just what did that machine do to Zim? Aren't you curious?
Leave a message if I'm doing ok with GIR's personality.