Enemy Mine
Black boots sounded down the halls of the underground Rebel base. The woman who wore those boots had short violet hair and squinted eyes. A cracked skull amulet hung around her neck.
She stopped at a guarded door. The rebel soldiers saluted her then opened it for her.
She went in and was greeted by two male officers.
"How is he?" She asked immediately.
"Fine. The laser was on a low setting but he hasn't woken up yet." One of the officers called Stan said.
She paced to the observation window of the old medical lab. Her brother lay on the other side with an old heart rate monitor hooked up to him.
His face had been shaved and but he still looked like he had been dragged through a gravel pit.
"Geer Zeeg, vein gonto!" Dib mumbled in his sleep.
Gaz turned her head sharply to the other officers. "He speaks Irkan?"
The second officer by the name of Ragz nodded. "We suspect he's a spy for the Irkan Empire."
She glared. "Ragz you idiot, no way would Dib be on that bug races' side. He hated Zim, he'd hate his race too." On seeing no reasoning in her peers' faces she continued. "You've seen his tests. He's been eating bugs for the past God only knows how long."
"Zeeg! Zeeg! Bler non, gen." Dib cried out then trailed off.
"Anyone translating what he says?" Gaz asked impatiently.
One soldier looked up and handed her a piece of paper.
She scanned it skeptically. "Run strength. Don't look back. Get away. Strength, strength. I'll protect you strength." She looked up. "It's all the same. Line after line." She said flipping the page over to see more of the translation. "Are you sure you have it right?"
The soldier who had done the translating nodded. "I was in a rehabilitation camp for five years. We were only allowed to speak Irkan."
Gaz nodded. "Alright then."
A nurse opened the door between Dibs' room and the observation room. "He's waking up."
Gaz went alone into the room where Dib was blinking away sleep and the drugs he had been given.
"Where am I?" He asked shielding his eyes in the light. He had spent the last twelve years in dim light, this was too much.
"Safe." Gaz said.
He peered at her through his still intact glasses. "Gaz?"
She nodded. "Good to see you again Dib."
Dib blinked then shot upright. "Zeeg! Where is he? Is he here? I have to find him!" He tried to climb off the bed.
She forced him back. "Dib relax okay? Who is Zeeg?"
He gave her a puzzled look. "He's mine." He sat back and looked up at her. "I'm hungry."
"Okay Dib. We'll get you something to eat. When you feel better you can explain everything. How's that sound?"
Dib nodded. "Sounds good. Syger. Very good."
She lead him out of the room. "One thing though. You have to stop speaking Irkan."
He looked at her puzzled. "I was speaking Irkan?"
* * *
After Dib had explained everything he could to his sister he felt it was his turn for questions.
"How did all this happen?" He asked.
She sat silent a moment.
"About a year after you and Zim disappeared a kid showed up in my class. Her name was Fir she and was just like Zim only she was quiet. Turned out she was checking up on Zim for her people. They hadn't heard from him and apparently got curious.
"She asked me questions about Zim. Said she was his cousin from Canada. When I told her that he and my brother had disappeared some time ago she got even more quiet.
"Six months later the first wave of them came. They claimed Earth on the spot." She seemed to be holding back tears. "They took dad away, he was put to special use for the empire."
Dib stared off. "What about you? How did you wind up here?"
"When they took dad I ran. The only things I had were the clothes I wore and my GameSlave." She picked the battery-less machine off a nearby shelf. "I fell in with a group of other homeless kids. We threw rocks at Irkan ships. After awhile threw bottles with gas in them with flaming rags stuffed in the neck setting them on fire. After that we blew them up with home made C-4. We were good at it. Called ourselves Earth Dirt. Don't know why, I think it was to mock the Irkans.
"After a long time we became the rebellion. The only real one left. Terrorism is what we do. We have leaders I'm one of them. We do what we can until those bugs get thrown out."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there Gaz." Dib said. "I could have helped. They wouldn't have come so quickly if I hadn't got me and Zim trapped down there."
Gaz shook her head. "It's not your fault. The Irkans didn't really care about this planet till Fir gave a description of Earth to them. All this water, minerals. This place it a gold mine and when they found that out they jumped at the chance."
The door to Gazs' quarters came open. "Sir, we have reports that might interest you." He paused realizing he had interrupted her.
She glared but nodded for him to continue.
"An Irkan that meets the description you gave us has been located." He said a bit nervously.
"Thank you Han." She turned to Dib but he was already half way out the door.
* * *
Dib stormed down the hall. He had learned that the base had Irkan fighters in their arsenal. He had a look Gaz had never seen on his face.
"Dib stop! You can't do this! Wait and we can get a party together and get him out I swear." Gaz said. She had her brother back, no matter how annoying he had been he was still her Dib.
"The reports say they have Zeeg in a slave mine. If I don't get him soon he won't be there to save." He kept going not even looking at her.
Gaz fell back as he entered the garage. "Don't die!" She yelled.
* * *
Dib suited up alone. Only a skeleton crew was around to watch him. He climbed up into an Irkan vessel and started its still warm engine back up.
The Human intercom that had been placed inside came to life. "Dib, I know that's you. This is Commander Ragz. Get out of there now."
"Commander order the bay doors to open." Dib said.
"You don't know how to fly that thing!"
"Correction Commander. I once stole Zims' Voot Runner. I can fly this." Dib put his hands on the weapons control. "Open the doors!"
"I can't do that Dib."
"Do it or I blow my way out!" Dib nearly screamed.
"Dib calm down. Get out of that thing and we'll"
Before Ragz could finish Dib fired at the bay door and blasted his ship out of the hole.
* * *
Dib had been correct about being able to fly the fighter. It wasn't much different than Zims' Voot Runner. He followed the directions he had stolen from Gaz. She knew he had seen them but didn't know he had them.
He had trouble landing the Irkan vessel but it would take off again. He jumped out and headed towards the silver mine that Zeeg had been taken too.
He made his way to the outer guard. A Human was sitting asleep by a mounted laser.
Dib walked up and was surprised that no traps went off. He picked up a rock, closed his eyes and hit the man over the head before he could wake up.
He took the unconscious mans clothes and covered him with his flight suite.
"Sorry pal." He said before going to the mine.
He covered his face as best he could with the mans' coat collar. He wasn't noticed. But he saw that a few other Humans wore clothes like him, but so were some Irkans.
The slaves were mostly Irkan with Humans among them. The Irkans were extremely short or malformed in some way. The Humans looked like abused dogs in a kennel.
A whistle sounded and the Irkan and Human over seers left. The next shift would come in soon.
He turned to an Irkan slave first.
"Se lo Zeeg? Met to gineb Zeeg." (Do you know Zeeg? I need to find Zeeg.)
He went from one to the other. They dropped their tools and moved closer to see him.
Suddenly they parted and an old Irkan with glazed purple eyes and bent antenna came forward. He looked Dib over a moment. "I know of Zeeg."
Dib got down on his knees and stared at the Irkan. "Please. Where is he?"
"I am the only one who speak the Human here so he talks to me." A look of realization crossed his face. "You must me Uncle."
"Yes I am. Please where is he?"
The old Irkan nodded. "Yes. We show you." He motioned to the other slaves and they went back to work.
Dib followed the old Irkan deeper into the mine.
Black boots sounded down the halls of the underground Rebel base. The woman who wore those boots had short violet hair and squinted eyes. A cracked skull amulet hung around her neck.
She stopped at a guarded door. The rebel soldiers saluted her then opened it for her.
She went in and was greeted by two male officers.
"How is he?" She asked immediately.
"Fine. The laser was on a low setting but he hasn't woken up yet." One of the officers called Stan said.
She paced to the observation window of the old medical lab. Her brother lay on the other side with an old heart rate monitor hooked up to him.
His face had been shaved and but he still looked like he had been dragged through a gravel pit.
"Geer Zeeg, vein gonto!" Dib mumbled in his sleep.
Gaz turned her head sharply to the other officers. "He speaks Irkan?"
The second officer by the name of Ragz nodded. "We suspect he's a spy for the Irkan Empire."
She glared. "Ragz you idiot, no way would Dib be on that bug races' side. He hated Zim, he'd hate his race too." On seeing no reasoning in her peers' faces she continued. "You've seen his tests. He's been eating bugs for the past God only knows how long."
"Zeeg! Zeeg! Bler non, gen." Dib cried out then trailed off.
"Anyone translating what he says?" Gaz asked impatiently.
One soldier looked up and handed her a piece of paper.
She scanned it skeptically. "Run strength. Don't look back. Get away. Strength, strength. I'll protect you strength." She looked up. "It's all the same. Line after line." She said flipping the page over to see more of the translation. "Are you sure you have it right?"
The soldier who had done the translating nodded. "I was in a rehabilitation camp for five years. We were only allowed to speak Irkan."
Gaz nodded. "Alright then."
A nurse opened the door between Dibs' room and the observation room. "He's waking up."
Gaz went alone into the room where Dib was blinking away sleep and the drugs he had been given.
"Where am I?" He asked shielding his eyes in the light. He had spent the last twelve years in dim light, this was too much.
"Safe." Gaz said.
He peered at her through his still intact glasses. "Gaz?"
She nodded. "Good to see you again Dib."
Dib blinked then shot upright. "Zeeg! Where is he? Is he here? I have to find him!" He tried to climb off the bed.
She forced him back. "Dib relax okay? Who is Zeeg?"
He gave her a puzzled look. "He's mine." He sat back and looked up at her. "I'm hungry."
"Okay Dib. We'll get you something to eat. When you feel better you can explain everything. How's that sound?"
Dib nodded. "Sounds good. Syger. Very good."
She lead him out of the room. "One thing though. You have to stop speaking Irkan."
He looked at her puzzled. "I was speaking Irkan?"
* * *
After Dib had explained everything he could to his sister he felt it was his turn for questions.
"How did all this happen?" He asked.
She sat silent a moment.
"About a year after you and Zim disappeared a kid showed up in my class. Her name was Fir she and was just like Zim only she was quiet. Turned out she was checking up on Zim for her people. They hadn't heard from him and apparently got curious.
"She asked me questions about Zim. Said she was his cousin from Canada. When I told her that he and my brother had disappeared some time ago she got even more quiet.
"Six months later the first wave of them came. They claimed Earth on the spot." She seemed to be holding back tears. "They took dad away, he was put to special use for the empire."
Dib stared off. "What about you? How did you wind up here?"
"When they took dad I ran. The only things I had were the clothes I wore and my GameSlave." She picked the battery-less machine off a nearby shelf. "I fell in with a group of other homeless kids. We threw rocks at Irkan ships. After awhile threw bottles with gas in them with flaming rags stuffed in the neck setting them on fire. After that we blew them up with home made C-4. We were good at it. Called ourselves Earth Dirt. Don't know why, I think it was to mock the Irkans.
"After a long time we became the rebellion. The only real one left. Terrorism is what we do. We have leaders I'm one of them. We do what we can until those bugs get thrown out."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there Gaz." Dib said. "I could have helped. They wouldn't have come so quickly if I hadn't got me and Zim trapped down there."
Gaz shook her head. "It's not your fault. The Irkans didn't really care about this planet till Fir gave a description of Earth to them. All this water, minerals. This place it a gold mine and when they found that out they jumped at the chance."
The door to Gazs' quarters came open. "Sir, we have reports that might interest you." He paused realizing he had interrupted her.
She glared but nodded for him to continue.
"An Irkan that meets the description you gave us has been located." He said a bit nervously.
"Thank you Han." She turned to Dib but he was already half way out the door.
* * *
Dib stormed down the hall. He had learned that the base had Irkan fighters in their arsenal. He had a look Gaz had never seen on his face.
"Dib stop! You can't do this! Wait and we can get a party together and get him out I swear." Gaz said. She had her brother back, no matter how annoying he had been he was still her Dib.
"The reports say they have Zeeg in a slave mine. If I don't get him soon he won't be there to save." He kept going not even looking at her.
Gaz fell back as he entered the garage. "Don't die!" She yelled.
* * *
Dib suited up alone. Only a skeleton crew was around to watch him. He climbed up into an Irkan vessel and started its still warm engine back up.
The Human intercom that had been placed inside came to life. "Dib, I know that's you. This is Commander Ragz. Get out of there now."
"Commander order the bay doors to open." Dib said.
"You don't know how to fly that thing!"
"Correction Commander. I once stole Zims' Voot Runner. I can fly this." Dib put his hands on the weapons control. "Open the doors!"
"I can't do that Dib."
"Do it or I blow my way out!" Dib nearly screamed.
"Dib calm down. Get out of that thing and we'll"
Before Ragz could finish Dib fired at the bay door and blasted his ship out of the hole.
* * *
Dib had been correct about being able to fly the fighter. It wasn't much different than Zims' Voot Runner. He followed the directions he had stolen from Gaz. She knew he had seen them but didn't know he had them.
He had trouble landing the Irkan vessel but it would take off again. He jumped out and headed towards the silver mine that Zeeg had been taken too.
He made his way to the outer guard. A Human was sitting asleep by a mounted laser.
Dib walked up and was surprised that no traps went off. He picked up a rock, closed his eyes and hit the man over the head before he could wake up.
He took the unconscious mans clothes and covered him with his flight suite.
"Sorry pal." He said before going to the mine.
He covered his face as best he could with the mans' coat collar. He wasn't noticed. But he saw that a few other Humans wore clothes like him, but so were some Irkans.
The slaves were mostly Irkan with Humans among them. The Irkans were extremely short or malformed in some way. The Humans looked like abused dogs in a kennel.
A whistle sounded and the Irkan and Human over seers left. The next shift would come in soon.
He turned to an Irkan slave first.
"Se lo Zeeg? Met to gineb Zeeg." (Do you know Zeeg? I need to find Zeeg.)
He went from one to the other. They dropped their tools and moved closer to see him.
Suddenly they parted and an old Irkan with glazed purple eyes and bent antenna came forward. He looked Dib over a moment. "I know of Zeeg."
Dib got down on his knees and stared at the Irkan. "Please. Where is he?"
"I am the only one who speak the Human here so he talks to me." A look of realization crossed his face. "You must me Uncle."
"Yes I am. Please where is he?"
The old Irkan nodded. "Yes. We show you." He motioned to the other slaves and they went back to work.
Dib followed the old Irkan deeper into the mine.