Dib adjusted the Irken soldier helmet on his head as he sat next to Zim and Gir in the ship that Gir took down by himself. They flew straight toward the Mothership. Behind them, was a fleet of hologram Irken spaceships. Dib began to have second thoughts on his idea. "Are you sure they wont find out that they are actually hollograms?" asked Dib nervously. Zim nodded.
"They wont. Only unless if the hollograms all the sudden get liquid on them, which I doubt they will," Zim said, smirking. Dib nodded and leaned back in his cushioned seat and looked out to the beautiful vast open space of black, and the billions of stars. Dib sighed and smiled at the beautiful scene. Zim flickered his eyes over to Dib, and back at the stars.
"When you see this every single day, it somewhat gets boring and you dont seem to notice it anymore...kind of like your atmosphere with those white clouds and blue sky," commented Zim. Dib narrowed his eyes a bit, but knew Zim was right. Zim continued. "After a while, you humans dont ever seem to notice anything... not you and Gaz though," though Zim as he began to go into his thoughts.
Dib stared at the green alien. "Zim?" he asked. Zim blinked, he lifted his head up a bit and continued to drive the ship. Dib stared at Zim, but decided to not ask. He turned his eyes back to the countless twinkling stars that were spread across the surface of the onyx darkness...
...
When they were within a distance to where they could throw a rock at the mother ship, Zim began to slow down the ship. Behind him, the inanimate, hollogram ships, painted in all shades of purple, pink, red, green, blue and orange, stopped right behind their leader.
Zim cleared his throuat as he spoke into the communicator in his helmet. "Ahem, this is..." Zim looked down at the name tag on his soldier uniform. "Irken soldier Iks, I-er we have come back from the planet called Earth and retrieved Zim and D-er the human...pig. We would like to enter," he asked. Seconds later, someone from the mothership answered.
"Good job Iks, fly your ships into the landing section," said the voice. With that, Zim and Dib could see a section in the ship open up for their "ships" to fly in and park. Dib smiled excitedly. Gir began to scream and run in circles. Zim smiled to himself in triumph and began to ride straight toward the opening. The hollogram ships followed right behind.
The fleet made their way inside and slowly began to lower and landed on the huge platform with all the other ships. Zim, Dib and Gir jumped out and began to walk down the platform to the inside of the ship. Their helments were down so they were able to breathe. When they entered into the capsule. The door closed, cutting out all the outside space air and letting breathing air come in. Dib and Zim opened their helmet visors and sighed with relief.
"Step one, is complete," said Zim proudly. Dib smiled a small smile as he adjusted his glasses on his face. "Onto step two," he said. The alien, human and robot walked out of the small spaced room, and out to the inside of the mother ship where it opened up into a huge room. The room was connected with all sorts tubes that shot the Irkens out or up to a different leval of the Mother Ship. It was a network of tubes. Wherever they looked, a bunch of small Irkens darting in and out in a rush.
Suddenly, Zim felt something bump into him at his shins. He looked down and noticed a familiar face. "Invader Skoodge!" said Zim in disbelief.
The small Irken looked up. "Wha? who are you? Do I know you from someplace?" he asked. Zim went town to his knees. He looked around before taking off his helmet. "Its me, Zim," he said. Invader Skoodge's magenta eyes widened in horror. "Zim?!" he squealed. Zim placed a hand over the green Irken's small mouth.
A couple small Irkens stopped and looked over at them suspiciously before running off down through a different tunnel. Zim turned back to Skoodge. "No one knows I'm here, and I dont want them to," he said and slowly lifted his hand from Skoodge's mouth. Skoodge stared up at Zim in shock. He finally found his voice. "Th-thats why everyone is rushing around. W-we're bein' called in to put you into a shuttle to send off into space toward Foodcourtia," said Skoodge.
Zim narrowed his eyes a bit. He sighed and looked down at the ground for a minute. When he looked back up, he noticed that Skoodge was still looking at him funny. "Skoodge? What's wrong?" asked Zim. Skoodge didnt anwer for a minute. He reached his hand up and touched Zim's forehead. Zim didnt seem to understand. He flicked his old friend's hand away. "Skoodge, what is it?" he asked.
Skoodge finally answered. "You've grown tall," he said in shock. Suddenly, loud rings began to go off and red lights began to flash. Zim and Dib looked up in panic. Zim quickly turned back to Skoodge. "Skoodge! please help us! tell us which tube leads us to Gaz- I mean the female human's room!" said Zim quickly, his magenta eyes wide with fear.
Skoodge quickly pointed to the tube furthest from him. "I-I think that one!" he said. Zim grabbed Gir, who was staring at one of the other tubes and going toward the one of his choice. Dib followed right behind. Skoodge watched as the three rebels stopped in front of the narrow blue tinted tube, and was vaccumed up through it and sent spireling throughout the system of the Irken Mother Ship.
The stout Irken sighed and began to walk. Just as he was, he bumped into another person. "Ug! How many times-?!" he snarled in frustration but stopped in midsentence when he realized who he bumped into. "Tak?!" he asked has he stared up in shock. She was tall too?!
Tak glared down at the short Irken. "Outta the way, runt," she snarled as she passed by him. Mimi followed right behind her in her robot form. Skoodge sighed and shook his head. "Everyones becoming tall these days..." he muttered and began to walk away.
Tak stopped and turned around. "What? who's growing tall?" she asked, also completely unaware that she was taller then all the other Irkens who only came up to her shins. She began to make her way back to Skoodge, but there were so many knee high tall Irksns in her way. Tak looked down at Mimi. "Mimi, go stop that short, ugly Irken," she said. Mimi obeyed and instantly turned into her cat disguise. She darted all the short bustling Irkens toward Skoodge.
Skoodge stopped when Mimi zipped in front of him and turned back to her robot form. Her eyes went red and she threatened him with her sharp steel claws. Skoodge's eyes widened and took a step back. Just as he did, he felt his back brush up against something. The thing behind him grabbed him by the back of his scarlet covered shirt.
"Wha? hey!" said Skoodge as he was lifted up and faced Taks green face. Tak's violet colored eyes narrowed. "Who's growing tall?" she asked in a low growl. Skoodge squirmed a bit in her grip. His feet dangled. He snarled at Tak. "Let go of me!" he yelled. Tak tightened her grip. "Only if you tell me!" she snapped. Skoodge was taken back a bit, but answered in a huff.
"Everyone's growing tall these days! It sucks always being considered the shortest of the race! but now I see Irkens growing almost as tall as our Allmighty Tallests! first it was Zim and now y-" Skoodge eyes widened as he quickly covered his mouth with his black gloved hands. "Oh no," he squeaked. Tak's eyes widened. "Zim. Was there a human with him too?" she asked.
Skoodge didnt answer.
"Tell me!" Tak screamed, her violet eyes flashed angrily. Skoodge yelped. "I dont know! I really dont! th-there was another tall person with him, but I dont-" "Which way did they go?!" Tak snapped, interrupting Skoodge. Skoodge began to whimper. Suddenly, Mimi jumped up on Tak's shoulder and thrusted her sharp claws toward the small green Irken's face. Skoodge began to scream.
"Ok! Ok! they went that way! they went that way! I told them to got that way! oh please dont kill me!" Skoodge screamed. Tak turned to the tube Skoodge was talking about. Tak silently nodded her head to Mimi, who lowered her steel claws and jumped off Tak's shoulder. With that, Tak dropped Skoodge and bolted toward the advanced alien technology pipe. She stopped below it and faced Skoodge, who was just looking up from the ground. Mimi stood right in front of her master.
Skoodge watched as they were picked up and sent hurtling through the tunnel system after Zim, Gir, and Dib. Skoodge sighed and slowly got up. There were no more Irkens bustling around. He was all alone. He limped his way toward the pipe he was going toward before he ran into Zim and Tak and was sent to his destination within the Mother Ship.