As Zim finally shook himself from memory lane, he called them to attention, and to sit at the table. Once seated, Zim stood (to give Gir his seat) and to take charge of the briefing. As he faced the table, they sat starting from his left: Mary, Stell, Blue then Gir. Nova stood next to Stell and Teal stood next to Blue. The two bots shared a look, they both viewed the vision after their respective masters.
"As we are all aware from Mary's future viewing of today's events, we have much to discuss." He started calmly, looking at all of them.
Once they all nodded, giving this as much seriousness as the situation demands. He continued.
Zim pulled out a small writing pad in his PAK to pull out his notes and set it on the table before Mary. "Is there anything you can remember that should be added?" He asked her gently.
Not even reaching for it, she simply sat there reading it. Finally she shook her head. "Very well." He gently took the pad back as she continued to stare at the table. Stell reached out to her shoulder for a moment before taking it back after Mary smiled in thanks.
"From what I gather, in the morning, the only thing of note for Mary was the teacher taking her cupcake and eating it." He growled. Not even Mrs. Bitters did that!
Blue punched his hand. "He'll get what's coming for that later. Doesn't he make it into the base later tonight in the raid?" Zim grinned and nodded. Blue grinned back silently cackling.
"He's all yours Blue." Echoing what he said in the vision. Blue grinned wider.
"Nothing else seemed to happen until after school got out. Which brings the question. Mary, do you simply wish to skip School today?"
"If I did, I'd get detention…" She grumbled.
The room shivered in fear remembering the hell that is detention. Zim then stood his ground.
"That is no matter. One thing that is sometimes forgotten… Zim is in charge of the fate of this pitiful planet." He spoke darkly, their eyes widened.
"I can easily get you out of class." He smiled.
They sweat dropped.
"Thank you…?" Mary spoke warily. Zim simply grinned before continuing.
"Moving on. On our side of this morning, was my weekly call with Tak and Skooge."
"But before that, I remember you and Gir coming to our workshop before following Gir to his hideaway!" Blue interrupted.
"Yes! Thank you Blue."
Mary smiled remembering the coat. "What were those torn pieces of cloth anyway?"
"Oh… um." Zim trailed off. Gir took over.
"That was me!"
"Gir?"
"When we fought Mary-" said girl groaned, the rest snickered. "- a piece of his favorite black coat was caught on nearby debris from the fight and I stepped on his glasses. I grabbed them before following after Mastah. I wasn't sure if we were coming back… I didn't want to forget him."
"Gir-" Zim Started, but Gir continued.
"Mastah wasn't himself for a really long time. And when that other Kid challenged us later, it reminded me of him. When we eventually came back to Earth, the next kid Mastah called Dib, his coat got caught again. So I grabbed that too. And the next, and the next. When I saw the vision, I had no idea I collected so much." Zim simply walked over, picked up Gir and sat down with Gir snuggled into his lap.
"Is that where the coat idea came from?" Zim asked his old friend. Gir simply nodded.
"Thank you, Gir. I may not have actually gotten it before, but I saw Purple holding it up! It was the coolest coat I have ever seen!"
Gir beamed in happiness.
"We'll make it again, Gir, and then you can give it to her yourself this time." Zim offered.
"YAY!"
After a moment, Zim got them back on topic.
"Yes… Purple." Zim trailed off. Blue took over next.
"It seems he's working separate from Red. From what I've witnessed, Red is working with the Resisty, helping with the cloning."
"The clones are new though." Mary pitched in.
"On Earth yes, but not on Irk. I myself am a clone made with rapidly disappearing Irk DNA from before the Control Brains took over. We are all clones of clones." Zim shrugged.
"Wow…" Mary stared in shock.
"Indeed. It may be new to you, but it was a fact of life for me. Although, it does make sense if Red is involved. He probably introduced it to them."
"Wait!" Stell interrupted. "Does that mean, myself and Blue are clones?"
Zim blinked.
"Why yes, yes you are. You were not aware of this?" He asked them, genuinely confused about their ignorance on this.
The duo shook their heads.
Mary looked contemplative. "Zim."
"Hm?"
"You said you were made from rapidly disappearing DNA to make clones of clones. Back then. How do you still have DNA NOW to work with?"
"We don't." He stated as if they should know this.
"WHAT?!" They all shouted.
"How were you not aware of this? Stell here is the LAST Irken created from our Smeeteries. Er.. where the clones are birthed from." Explaining Mary's confused expression.
"The last..?" Stell sat back down in horror.
"Yes. Did no one actually tell you this?"
They all shook their heads.
"We were pushing it with Blue, but we had a small bit left to make Stell. We have been in a crisis the last 4 Earth centuries."
Mary slammed her hands on the table.
"Then why are you here?! If you are having such a crisis, then why are you here and not there solving it?!"
"Simple. There is no more Irk DNA whatsoever. None on Irk, or off world. Irk has been classified as endangered around the time I first even arrived on Earth, back then. Let alone today. THAT is why I kept up the tradition. Why am I still here? With us being clones of clones, and even fewer Invaders I was able to take on here, I wanted my pupils to feel alive as the end neered. To give them a chance to feel alive, to find someone to share memories and experiences with."
She slowly sat back down as she talked. Looking over at Stell, all of Mary's research came to mind as he continued to talk.
Why the Dibs were so secretive about their Invaders. Diary entries, and so on almost non-existent. Only battle plans.
"On Irk, the teachers all watch their Smeets as they progress through learning. I also have Gir here wandering around."
"Yes! I remember that!" Stell shouted out, pointing at a grinning Gir.
"Indeed. With the failing DNA, Irks were experiencing further decline in their mental states. Literally, they were becoming mindless or brain dead. They weren't feeling much of anything. The ones that DO retain higher thought process, or ANY form of personality, Gir finds for me."
"And he pointed at me and Stell." Blue finished in dawning realization.
"Correct." Zim looked at them both. "You two are the last Irkens in this last generation to have ANY personality. At all. A long time ago, Skooge thought of the idea to make other Sir Units like Gir. Purposefully malfunctioning to bring out your emotions. To force them on the surface to prove to us that you can feel at all."
"The 'Gir' Units." Stell giggled numbly. He just nodded.
"And you brought them here." Mary spoke quietly.
"Yes, I brought them here. To give them experiences they would have been denied if they stayed on Irk. To live."
~/~
At Skool, Mary's teacher Mr. Galoway, glared at the two empty desks.
That child.
How dare she not take this seriously!? She's supposed to be working on ways to kill the Damn Irk, but no! She just toils away researching useless stories!
She may have been too young, but he still remembers 2 years ago when they were still under siege from all those accursed aliens!
He was raised in a damned shelter for crying out loud!
He remembers the explosion where he saw sunlight for the first time in his life at 34. Seeing Stell and Blue crawl in like spiders down from the ceiling.
Everyone scattering.
He remembered a younger Mary then standing guard up in the streets before a building in ruins. She was wearing strange alien goggles and a black blanket was draped around her like a cloak.
Zim just stood there and stared at Mary as she pulled out a gun from under the blanket and aimed at Stell.
He remembered Zim's relieved(?) smile as the girls fought in the street.
The Irk named Blue just stood by and watched in shock, before looking to the leader of the Irken Empire.
Zim pointed at Mary and grinned.
He witnessed all of that.
And now, almost two years later (she turned 11 today) no endgame in sight. Stell was actually pulling her weight in this war, but Mary kept defeating her easily. Just what is Zim teaching her if she keeps failing?!
Do all these losses even count? No, wait. Mary has to outright kill Stell to win, as well as vice versa.
If so, is it really that hard to kill the other? Or are they simply not even trying?!
He's not sure which is worse in his opinion.
Growling at the two empty seats, he took attendance. After class, he reported to the Resisty.
~/~
Resisty
Purple stared at his experimental PAKs still rendering. They were supposed to finish at some point this afternoon.
~STATIC~
He watched as the Mecha flew closer.
He watched as is crashed some distance away
A smaller female Irk and a Smeet of a human female were carried in unconscious.
When he entered his small lab space, he opened his Irken-made safe to look at the results of his PAKs experiments. Simulation Stable. He smiled in relief before sealing it again and then going back to the package.
There was a note.
"Happy Birthday Mary!" Signed by Zim and Gir.
The showdown between Red and Stell before racing to the roof.
~STATIC~
On the roof, Purple stared in horror at the hysterical Irk in Zims arms, holding the dead Human he thought he saved. He felt stinging all over his body from the receding rain, but paid it no mind. Looking down at the unconscious fake with the PAK on her back, he wondered how this all got so wrong.
~STATIC~
Purple startled at the shock from his PAK. Memories flooding his mind like the rain pelting his body.
Clones.
He saved a clone and the real Dib- Mary. The real Mary perished.
No longer wishing to take his time, knowing that the ones in his seal are stable, he sped up the process to 10 minutes.
Simulation Stable.
Good.
Now… Taking a deep breath to steel his nerves.
Now, he needs to find Zim.
Grabbing all his PAKs and anything resembling personal belongings, he left his lab. Going to their ship and leaving.
Not even surprised to see Red standing there watching him leave, before going back inside.
Purple didn't know what he was expecting. Red yelling at him, demanding why he was leaving, something!
He got nothing.
Speeding up, he made his way through the city to Zim's base.
~/~
Zim's House
"So, what now?" Mary asked from the silence.
"I told you last night, yes? I had a plan that would make all of this moot."
THAT got their attention.
"What's your plan?" Blue asked. THAT got Zim grinning.
"Follow me down in the base." Before walking to the elevator. Mary, Stell, it might be best if you change back to your regular clothes, you can change again later."
They scrambled after him after a moment.
~/~
Base
As they followed Zim through unknown sections of the base, he had previously blocked off, they wound up before a locked door.
Stell was conflicted. On one hand, she liked their makeovers. On the other, it felt good being back in their old clothes. Seeing Mary's sad expression, though, Stell promised to let Mary continue to wear whatever she likes during her stay here. That cheered her up again.
Although Mary was even happier to see her old clothes already cleaned from the automatic laundry shoot Stell stuffed them in before going upstairs. Even the stains and tears were gone! Stell cackled at Mary's awed expression.
Back with Zim, however.
Typing in a password, it opened to reveal a sort of storage room. Darkened considerably without the lights.
Various devices covered in sheets were on one side, but a big round device on the left was by itself.
Zim stalked over and yanked off the large sheet with green ghost patterns on it, to reveal a ring shaped device.
Sir! An incoming Irken ship is speeding its way toward us! Scans indicate it is Former Tallest Purple, alone. The Computer startled them.
"Purple?!" Mary asked, confused.
"Ah, I was wondering when he was going to approach us."
"What?!"
"Last night, I took his attempt at an apology seriously and hacked his PAK for further details. Not seeing any form of trickery, I embedded short clips from the device into his PAK this morning to see what he would do with it." Zim explained as he looked at her. "Would he tell Red and work with him? Or will he come here to fix future events."
"You can hack into PAKs?" Blue asked warily.
"Easily."
The two younger Irkens stared at each other in disbelief. HOW SMART IS HE?!
"Computer, give instructions to Purple to lead him here. I will answer his questions. The rest of us will wait for his arrival." Zim walked over to the entryway, scaled the wall and waited above the door like a spider waiting to strike. "All of you, sit there and wait."
~/~
With Purple.
The former Taller parked his cruiser in the attic as per instructions. This would be the first time ever even coming near Zim's base. As he neared, it didn't change at all from the old reports from the then-Invaders briefings.
The gnomes eyed him on arrival, but otherwise stayed on standby.
Hearing the ship settle down and deactivating, He gripped the controls nervously.
This is it.
Purple's one and only chance to plead his case to Zim and apologize. Will he leave here banished again?
Or as a corpse.
Loosening his grip and slowly exiting the ship…
He deserves either outcome. He has no hope of a positive outcome this Earth day.
None.
All he can do is follow the Computers' instructions to the rendezvous point below.. Don't touch anything, don't look at anything, do not engage unless spoken to he tells himself.
He makes his way down meekly.
~/~
Resisty.
Red roared as Purple flew away. He started tearing apart his lab in anger.
Why did Purple leave?! Where is he even going?! Purple hasn't spoken more than one word answers to him since a century or two after their banishment to Foodcortia! They were the Tallests! Second in power to the Control Brains! Zim will pay...
Red screamed again when the ship's locator was disabled!
A Resisty guard shakily reported that neither the Dib nor Invader showed up at School today.
Red slowly turned to glare at the useless fool.
Said fool ran for the exit.
Red clenched his fists. Angrily making his way further in his lab, he opened the door to the next room.
Before him was a perfect clone of the current Dib in a tank, just waiting to be activated.
He stared at his reflection in the glass.
The lights in the room tinted his clothes purple on the glass.
How did this all go so wrong?
~/~
Base
After about 10 minutes, they heard footsteps coming to the door.
The kids and Girs stood at attention and Zim remained still above the door.
Finally, the footsteps slowed.
Hesitation.
The steps continued as Purple stepped into view, holding a duffle bag behind his back, before stopping in the middle of the entryway.
Right below Zim.
"My Tallest!" Zims voice from above, filled with fake enthusiasm, startled Purple badly. Zim was covered in shadows as the hall light somewhat blinded Purple.
Purple held out a clawed hand to block the light to see him better. Seeing Zim lowering down, Purple tripped and fell down on his ass further in the room.
"My Tallest." Zim growled. "I see after 3,000 years you have FINALLY decided to check up on your most loyal Invader." He mocked.
Purple crawled backwards as Zim lowered himself to stand tall before him. PAK legs extended behind him, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Mary backed away slowly, bumping into Blue and Stell, looking equally terrified of their leader.
"Z-Zim." Purple whimpered in shame, before sitting upright shakily on his knees.
"Why, are you here?" He growled. "What do you want with Zim!?" He screamed at the fallen Irk he once looked up to.
Zim knows. The kids know. Purple knows.
Zim just needs to see it. To hear it.
Needs to have Purple look him in the eyes and say it!
~/~
Then
3,000 years ago
Gir remembers static. His optics flickering on and off. His processor noting being transferred to a separate device before being deleted.
Between the static, the confused robot caught a glimpse at a big headed kid with scythe-like hair and round glasses. He was smiling at him.
Who is he?
~/~
Now
"Answer Zim!" He shakily screamed at the fallen Irk. Purple closed his eyes.
This is it, Purple.
This is your chance.
"I'm here… I'm here to-" He gulped. Opening his eyes, he looks Zim in the eyes.
~/~
Then
"Okay… and there! Hello, Gir. Can you hear me?"
Dib asked the limp robot in his room, connected by various cables. Zim sat nervously on the bed.
"Gir? Can you hear Zim..?"
Earlier that day, Zim came to Dib with a broken Gir. Gir chased after an ice cream truck and was run over by a large trailer truck. Gir was unresponsive.
Zim pleaded with a distressed Dib to help fix his friend since it was only a block away. Dib agreed without a second thought and brought him upstairs.
Dib handed Zim a recently bought hard drive, he was going to use for something else, and handed it to Zim.
"Before I start repairs, back up everything you can from his memory banks in this. Even repairing him could do irreparable damage to it."
Grateful for something to do, Zim took to backing it up with Dibs computer with obsessive gusto.
Dib rushed to his garage for tools.
It took them all week, but Dib finally felt comfortable enough to try activating him again.
His darkened optics flickered on and off.
~/~
Now
Gir stood off to the side.
Gir remembers Purple. A little. Things before his reactivation were blank. But, he has a backup hard drive in his Hideaway he holds on to. In it are his old recorded, corrupted memories.
Gir looks to the kneeling Irk and remembers.
He remembers the video recordings of Zims briefings, seeming so excited to tell his old leaders his plans.
Gir remembers laughing, snickering, mocking.
The Armada isn't coming!
He remembers Zim's cry to Dib before the Florpus.
~/~
Then
Suddenly, Gir lit up its red optics before sitting up and then leaping to stand before Zim and Dib.
"SIR. Reporting for duty."
"SIR…?" Zim whimpers. "No, your name is Gir!"
"What's the 'G' stand for?" Gir asks confused.
"I don't know." Dib senses a story there, but Zim just continues to stare hopefully.
Gir just continued to stare.
Later, as Zim tries to get Gir back to normal, Dib puts the hard drive in a metal container with a note: "For GIR use ONLY!"
"Here, Zim." Dib handed it to a frazzled Zim. "Don't worry, we'll get Gir back. First, let's go over his memories and try to save what we can ok?"
Zim grabbed the container gently and Dib pulled his once enemy into a hug.
Gir continued to stand there at attention, with red optics, waiting for orders.
~/~
Now
"I'm sorry." Purple finally said softly.
Zim twitched.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear. What did you say?"
"I'm sorry!"
"Again."
"I'm sorry, Zim ok!?" Purple yelled back. "I'm sorry." He stood and walked over to Zim.
Zim was taller by 3 inches.
"I'm sorry. I cannot speak for Red, but I'm sorry for everything I did to you. I'm sorry for everything I said. For mocking you, placing you here thinking it was some high stakes mission for Operation Impending Doom 2. I'm sorry for everything!" He belted out before gasping for air, clenching his eyes shut and keeping his head down.
Zim continued to glare at Purple.
Everyone else stayed quiet, not knowing what to do.
"Purple."
Startled, Purple whipped his head up…
Only to be punched in the face and sent flying on the ground.
Grinning, Zim punched his fist to his other hand before walking over to the panicked Irken.
Holding out his hand, Zim smirked. "I forgive you."
"What…?!"
"Now, come on. We have work to do if we're going to set this right." Zim gestured to the very device Purple was trying to find in the Alternate Vision.
~/~
Then
"And… there!" Dib cheered as he finally debugged 85 percent of whatever he can salvage from Gir's corrupted Memory banks.
Looking back to the sleeping Irken on his bed, he slipped off his coat to drape it over Zim like a blanket. He chuckled as Zim snuggled into it.
He startled at Gir's sudden appearance next to him.
"Are you my friend?"
Dib smiled. "Yes, Gir. I'm friends with both of you." Gir attempted to smile, but it was a small smile compared to his old smiles.
"What happened?" Gir asked.
"You… you got into an accident because you didn't listen to him."
"I didn't listen?"
"No, Gir. Zim cares about you. More than he'll ever admit. You are his best friend."
"I made him sad… Because… I didn't listen?" The two looked at Zim.
"Yes, Gir."
"Can you help me?"
"With what?"
"Can you fix me so I can listen to him? I don't him sad no more."
Dib knelt before the sad robot. "I don't want him sad either, Gir." He pulled Gir into a hug. "Ok, Gir. I'll tweak your programming just a little. If Zim gives you an order or tells you not to do something, you'll listen. Ok?"
"Yay!"
"Shhh!"
"Yay!" He whispered.
Dib just smiled and hooked him back up to his computer. With one last look at Zim, the two smiled before getting started.