(A/N#1: Oh yeah! Chapter 3! I'm rollin! Woooo-Whooo! Thankies fer all the nice reviews people! Keep 'em coming!)
Chapter Three:
An Explanation, And A New Enemy
"I should have your SIR ready later today," Jendai said simply. He slid into the seat opposite Zim, a sandwich in hand. After their first meeting, the threesome had moved into the next room, sitting at a large table to continue their conversation. A withered vase of roses sat in the middle, water cloudy with age. Briefly, Zim wondered why it hadn't been changed. "It's a mess, but, uh, I'm almost done." He took a large bite out of the sandwich as he finished.
Merana leaned over, barely avoiding her coffee cup, inspecting the food in the tall Irken's hand. "What in the name of the gods do you call that, 'Dai?"
"Lettuce and ketchup sandwich," the mechanic replied with a sly grin. "Here, want some?" The sandwich was thrust into her face.
The Invader almost laughed at the look the odd human got on her face. "Disgusting!" she groaned, pushing it away. "How can you eat that crap?"
A nonchalant shrug. "I take what I can get." His eyes grew distant again. "Not like I can cook like I used to on this miserable excuse for a planet." The mechanic's gloved hand sought the small human's in a desperate plea for comforting. Her slight fingers rubbed the soft fabric gently.
Zim stared at the contact. He'd heard all about the differences between his Class and Jendai's. Eye color was the most noticeable. Students' eye colors came in every color, shade and tint possible; while Soldiers came in two, red for males, purple for females. Students were, by nature, more prone to deeper emotions and passiveness than their Soldier counterparts. But the biggest difference by far was what happened to each Class after their birth. Soldiers were sent straight from the tubes where they had matured to programming and training with robotic instructors, learning what made you weak and who you served. On the other hand, Students were around other Irkens from the earliest possible moment, preparing them for long lives of dealing with their species. Sure, he'd heard all about the lovers of the Student Class, but witnessing just this bit of foreign emotion sent an eerie feeling through his brain. "Sorry, what?" he asked, snapping out of his musings.
"I asked if you wanted some explanations now," Merana repeated.
"That would be helpful," Zim answered with a slight nod.
Slight, delicate fingers that looked too old for the human wrapped around the cup before her, drawing in its warmth. Her pale lips pursed before she began. "Judging by your first reaction to me," she said, musical voice soft. "and 'Dai's for that matter, you've realized I bear more than a slight resemblance to the humans. I didn't really plan on this..." A slight smile appeared, trying to tie-in some humor with her explanation. "But my species and humans are actually quite similar. Not like Irkens and humans, no. Our differences are very subtle. You don't see them outright, you have to... probe, if you will." She shrugged. "What I'm trying to say Zim, is that I'm an alien to this planet too."
Zim gave her a suspicious squint. "Prove it," was the skeptic's answer.
Her strange amber eyes glazed over with an odd light. It flowed gently through her free hand, coloring it brightly. Almost mechanically, she reached out and touched the roses, letting the light cross from her fingers to the plants. They slowly arched upward, the water clearing as the light entered it. When the glow died, each one stood up as if freshly cut. Jendai applauded against a lifeless leg, smiling around a mouthful of sandwich. "Need any more proof?" Merana asked, cocking one sliver eyebrow. "No human has this ability to heal. Only my race. I believe you Irkens have heard of us." The mechanic looked up from his food at that sentence. We have? his look asked.
The Invader pondered this a moment. His brain wandered over several possibilities, dropping them for another. "Djemy," he declared proudly. "Most intelligent race found in the Ky'satm system. They had abilities no other race in the universe had. Planet J-meyt destroyed two hundred years ago by unknown force before the Empire could assist. Only known ally to Irkens. The Djemy race took refuge on any planet they could get to with their limited-no offence intended-technology. Some found their way on to passing Irken ships and were relocated to one of Irk's habitable moons where Irkens could aid them. Even under Imperial protection, they died off one by one."
"Ah yes, my sad, sad history," Merana sighed. "And it's Jaimeyt, little Invader. Irkens always did have a difficult time with our language. Too complex for their throats to comprehend, as our elders said."
It took Zim a while to process this. "Wait a moment!" he blurted. "If it's your history, then that would make you..."
"Two hundred and five years old." Jendai nearly choked on his sandwich at the look on Zim's face. The Djemy allowed herself a chuckle. "Our race has a very long lifespan," she explained. "I was brought here by my mentor, as I lost my parents during the escape. It was here that I learned our arts and a tolerance for all other races. You see," she paused, adjusting her jewelry. "races from all over the galaxy have bumped into Earth at one time or another. I suppose you could say Earth is a rest stop on the galactic highway. Every so often, someone-be it Irken or otherwise-lands in need of aid. I call them, ha demal unte, 'the lost ones'. Humans often times persecuted them or even imprisoned them. I took it upon myself to seek out any lost ones I could and help them get back to wherever home was."
"And that's how you ended up with a banished mechanic and me," Zim mused. "I'm an Invader," he declared. "not a hem dial tae or whatever."
Jendai added a comment, his words garbled by the last bit of sandwich. He frowned, swallowed and repeated himself. "But, you were in need of our help," the mechanic said pointedly.
"Another thing," the Invader cut in. "how on Irk did you find me?"
Merana flashed a slight smile. "That's where Jendai Kalie comes in."
"That's Kaalae. See; pronounce it with me. Kah-all-lé."
"Whatever." The Djemy muttered something about the aggravating simplicity of Irken names. "Anyway," she began pointedly. "When 'Dai realized he was going to be stuck with me for a hell of a long time, he decided he'd drive around whatever city we were in at the time, looking for anyone who stood out as an outsider. If they needed rescuing, he took care of it and brought them to me." She patted Jendai's hand affectionately. "He works good for being a paralyzed blob of Irken-dom."
The tall Irken only growled. "I'm starved Mer," he said, rising. "I'm going to make another sandwich." The blue eyes focused on Zim. "Want one?"
"Sure..." Zim murmured. He was dazed by all this information. His instructors at the Academy had always said that the Djemy were not concerned with any races other than themselves, making that the reason why they died off. Maybe this one was the exception. Or perhaps it was his instructor who was wrong... "I still find it hard to believe..."
"What?" Merana asked, arching a pale eyebrow. "Well, yes, I suppose my story is hard to accept at first, but it gets easier with time." She looked him in the eye. "Trust me," she ordered, amber eyes flashing green briefly as their pupils narrowed like a cat's.
"Goddamn it!" came Jendai's voice from the kitchen. A long stream of human curses followed the crash of a glass. "Piece of shit!"
Zim's antennae fell back involuntarily. "What's his problem?" he asked timidly.
"Oh, him..." the Djemy sighed, leaning back in her chair. She shook her head. "Don't mind Jendai. Don't get on his nerves either. Last poor bastard who did that found themselves taking a dip in the pond with a black eye and more than a few broken things. He's got a lot of anger in him, Jendai Kaalae," she said softly. "I dunno what happened to him back on your planet, but it... I'm not quite sure what it did to him." She looked at her hands, cupping the air slightly. "Just... when I tried to heal him for the first time, I just got this feeling like he wasn't always so angry. He was innocent once, then something happened and made him the way he is now."
"I think I may know," Zim began, but was stopped by Jendai's entrance.
"Mer. He's back," was the clipped sentence.
"How do you know that?" she asked suspiciously. Before the Irken could answer, an alarm went off. It wasn't too loud, just loud enough to alert the occupants of the house before the intruder could get too close. Her suspicious look turned incredulous. "How the hell do you do that, Kaalae?"
The mechanic gave her a sincere grin. A gloved hand tapped the base of his antennae as he spoke. "These don't let an Irken down," he replied cockily. The Irken eyes focused on Zim, one half-closed in questioning. "Don't tell me you didn't hear anything, Invader."
"I thought I did," Zim answered truthfully. He stood. "Is this human you speak of dangerous to us?" At their strange looks, he elaborated. "Because if so, I am willing to aid you in the defense of this base."
Jendai chuckled slightly, folding his arms over his chest. "Sorry to disappoint you, Invader," he said. "But, we got this under control. Yeah, that human bastard is dangerous to us. Me and Mer especially. Wants us both dead. Personally, I think he's the asshole who shot me in the first place. Damn, I'd like to..." he stopped, realizing he'd gotten off-track. "Anyway, he's some kind of government human. Works to rat-out everyone Mer tries to help, and bring both of us in as aliens. Hasn't succeeded yet, thanks to my security systems."
"What are you going to do?" the Invader asked slowly.
"Drive him off our property," the mechanic said simply, reaching around to press a button on his back pod. Almost instantly, his olive-green skin changed to the pinkish human coloration while his antennae vanished and his robotic legs became his real ones. Zim was startled to realize the disguise looked almost exactly like the human he'd seen at the 24/7. "Very convincing hologram projector," he said with a grin, new pupils of human eyes contracting in the bright light. He obviously knew what Zim was thinking and wasn't about to either confirm or deny it. "Mer invents 'em. I install 'em."
The Djemy rose, moving to the disguised Irken. "You stay hidden, Zim," she ordered. "Your disguise isn't around and he's bound to force his way in. There's a pot by the sink in the kitchen you should fit in." The doorbell rang. "Go on. We'll be fine." They watched him scurry off before heading to the door.
Jendai was the one who pulled it open. It was a heavy, solid oak number with polished brass fittings and intricate carvings Merana said were to ward off unwanted spirits. The Irken stuck his head out, glaring menacingly at the human. No carvings, despite how strong they were said to be, could keep this unwanted spirit away. "What?" he growled, allowing the door to open just enough for Merana to peer out from behind him.
The human facing them was not tall or imposing, yet he carried a strange air of one who cannot be touched by anything or anyone. His name was Frank. Neither one knew if he had a last name. They just knew that beyond that thin, dirty blonde hair, wet gray eyes and standard frame lay the greatest threat to both of their lives. "I finally got the authorities' permission to search your house for proof," replied an astonishingly low voice that whistled through teeth while forming S sounds. "When I find it, both of you will be dead on some autopsy table."
"If we're doing any thing wrong, damn it, then," Jendai began, but shut up when Merana put her finger to his lips.
"Let's humor him," she murmured. "Come on in." She pushed the protective Irken away from the doorway, allowing their enemy in. One of her thin arms was all that stood between Jendai and the human intruder. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his hand clench in an effort to keep himself from striking Frank. Her delicate fingers sought his to give the long-fingered hands something to do. The Irken stiffened at the touch, then relaxed. Still tense, my 'Dai...she thought with a rueful smile.
The human had begun to move through the house. He thumped against the walls, occasionally pulling out some device to scan everything. So thorough was he, that it took him an hour to leave the entryway. Jendai grew more and more apprehensive, his antennae alternating between falling back and pricking forward beneath the holographic screen. "He's gonna find my room and Zim," he hissed at the softest Irken voices could go. "Not to mention the basement! I have to go... now!"
Merana squeezed his hand briefly before he ducked off in the direction of the kitchen. The Irken's departure did not go unnoticed by Frank. "Where's he going?" the human barked gruffly.
"Important phone call. Business matters," she lied with a shrug.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Meanwhile, Zim crouched as close to the bottom of the pot as he could. Footsteps were approaching rapidly. Footsteps that lacked the click of Jendai's robotic legs or the slap of Merana's sandals against the floor. He shivered. A squeak of fright almost escaped him as the cover to the pot lifted. "Get out," Jendai snapped down at him. "Get out now. The human's coming and he's too thorough for my liking." Zim found his collar being seized by a strong arm. "We're hiding in my workroom."
"Won't he look there?" Zim asked quietly, his gaze reverted to the floor. Being hoisted up so high made him slightly nervous.
Jendai had already begun jogging towards his workroom, the click of his robotic legs hidden by the hologram. "Not if the door's locked," he grunted between strides. As they passed one room, Merana was heard stalling for time. Zim could recognize the hallways he was carried through, noting this as a major achievement. Sooner than later, Jendai had thrown the door to his room open and locked it behind them. He sighed heavily, shutting off his hologram and collapsing to the floor. Ragged breaths were choked from his throat, trying to turn his face the proper color. "Nerves and running through this house don't mix," he said finally. The tall mechanic sat still a while longer, gulping down air as if it were fine wine. "Wears your mind out, running with these, eh?" He looked sleepy suddenly, almost as if he were about to faint.
The Soldier looked up at him sympathetically. "I take it you don't run much," he said slowly, still unsure of how to proceed with this Irken. He doubted he ever would.
"No," Jendai shook his head. "I work my arms mostly. They're used more in my line of work anyway." He flexed the appendages for emphasis, half-smiling at the muscles that emerged. Irkens were a scrawny species as a rule, but Soldiers-and apparently mechanics by Jendai's demonstration-tended to build more muscle structure than others. The tall Irken took a deep breath, closing his eyes sleepily. "Wake me up when you hear him coming, all right?" he murmured. "My brain's tried."
Zim nodded sympathetically. Unaccustomed use of the back pod attachments often left someone feeling sleepy. Rest was always the best thing, providing the party didn't slip into a coma during sleep. Although, how one such as this Irken could be unused to using their attachments was unknown, Zim left it alone. Jendai had already nodded off, a worried frown creasing his visage. Bored, the Invader wandered around the workroom, examining things he hadn't found time to before.
One small box, lodged away in a dark corner, protected by cobwebs, caught his eye. Curious, he wandered over to it, sweeping away the filth of neglect with his one gloved hand. "Kaalae #4032," read the carved Irken script. Interest pricked. There was no lock, so Zim simply lifted the lid, covering his sneeze at the dust that billowed out from the old box. Inside were precious few things. A leather-bound book the size of his fists was shoved in the corner, almost covered by a few strips of Irken cloth and a few hologram capsules. He picked up the holograms first, ignoring the ripped bits of an old mechanic's uniform. Flipping the first open, he frowned at its antiquity. The out-of-date technology showed two young Students, both male, one with blue eyes and the other with purple, standing together and laughing. One wore the uniform of a scholar, and the other-the blue eyed one-wore a mechanic's. The scholar towered over Jendai, and was probably around 2'6" at the time. Jendai and one of his Nursery mates? Their age looked about right for graduation from one.
He set the capsule aside, careful to close it. The next one was an older Jendai, this time with his arms wrapped around a small female chemical researcher. She was beautiful, leggy with sweeping antennae and purple-red eyes. An old girlfriend perhaps? This too was set aside, also closed.
Yet another depicted two mechanics, one male, the other female. They looked as if in the middle of a ceremony of some sort, with the female kneeling before the male. The orange-eyed male was obviously the elder one, as he towered over the young, magenta-eyed female. Both had a look of joy on their faces. Most likely old friends of Jendai. He closed this as well, carefully selecting the last one.
Another holograph of a student and their teacher. Instantly, he recognized the small student in the holograph as Jendai, a young Jendai. The Irken beside him was in her later years, as the black sash across her chest and black dots sprinkled above her misty maroon eyes. Jendai clung to her, his innocent blue eyes very wide. One of the female's black-gloved hands lay over his head protectively. A soft, gentle smile wrapped around her face. Jendai's old teacher. Zim sighed, placing the capsule back with the others. He picked up the book.
"My name, at least the only one I've ever known," the book said in slightly messy Irken. "is Jendai Kaalae. Mechanic, blue-eyed, Jendai Kaalae. Kaalae number 4032. My teacher was maroon-eyed Daske Kaalae, and my student was gray-eyed Min Kaalae. One is dead, and I have little idea what became of the other. My best friend was the purple-eyed scholar Kasden Aman. I have no best friend now, although Kaml Tikem-an orange eyed mechanic-comes close. I had loved, once, while on Irk. Her name was bicolor Leeri Olon; she was a chemical researcher, and one of the best. I miss her so much it hurts to even set this down on paper. Mother of Irk..." The page ended there. Jendai's journal? A pang of sympathy graced his mind. Poor Kaalae. He wondered how long the teacher had been dead. Students never went very far from their teachers after becoming old enough to work on their own. The other female Jendai had been with-the one with the bicolor eyes-must be this Leeri. Frowning with curiosity, Zim read another page.
"Kaml, Lidge, Regert, Min, Leeri, Kasden... Leeri, Kasden... I can hardly write your names because of the pain. Not in my legs. I stopped feeling that a long time ago. Leeri... Kas... I can contact everyone else, except you two. Not that I would contact everyone else. I've heard of the uprisings. "The Kaalae name lives on." Mother of Irk what I wouldn't give to see our class finally tear down the social ranking of height. I doubt we will. Soldiers are too full of themselves to let us win. And I have the scars to prove it. Kas, if only you weren't so blind. You believed it all. All the lies, all the tricks, all the mental ploys. You're one of them now, my Tallest. And Leeri... Leeri..."
Jendai snorted in his sleep, startling Zim. He quickly shoved the book back into the box with the capsules, shaking. Seeing that the mechanic was going back to sleep, just waking enough to rearrange his useless legs in a more comfortable position. The Invader sighed with relief, picking up the journal once more.
"I can hardly remember anyone anymore. The Djemy Merana says that's just my mind healing. I don't believe her. How can forgetting who I am and what I was heal me? My legs are never going to work again. I know that much now. Forgetting Irk and everyone I cared about isn't going to make me spring out of this chair and dance around like a drunken Soldier."
Zim winced at the insult. Jendai must have hated Soldiers very much. He kept reading. These thoughts gave him a vague idea of how to deal with the only member of his species he knew he'd find on Earth for a long time.
"Things haven't been going as smoothly as I'd like. For one thing, I'm not so healthy anymore. My legs ache... They shouldn't. I've read up on Irken paralysis from a book a Soldier left here. What a Soldier was doing with a book, I don't know. I shouldn't feel a thing anymore. Not to mention I'm feeling sick. I can't sleep, no human food is edible, I can't concentrate on work, getting bad headaches, I'm getting constantly burned by this 'rain' thing... I want to die. I want to see Daske's face again and have her tell me everything is going to be okay. Maybe I will die. Mother of Irk knows I can't live here any longer."
He gulped. Suicide? Things must have been awful for Jendai to even consider that option. Again, he dared read more.
"It's been a while since I've been strong enough to even write. Last week, I tried to die. Being who I am, I didn't have the guts to use a weapon, so I drank something humans call 'antifreeze.' It said on the human TV that it was a deadly poison. It tasted something like ahki and soap. A while later, I threw up. Everything got blurry. Before I could die, the Djemy healed me. I was sick for a long time after. Why she saved me, I have no idea. Couldn't she see how badly I wanted death? She told me I was depressed, and often times depressed humans try and die as I had done. I'm not human. How can I catch a human disease? She is forcing me to eat human food and work again. At night, she commands me to take pills to make me sleep. I don't fight it anymore. I'm too broken, physically and mentally. It doesn't matter anymore anyway. There's no Soldiers here to be unbreakable for. Maybe that's what kept me alive on Irk... Odd how hatred can keep you alive when you have nothing left to cling to."
Footsteps approached, one having the safe sound of slapping sandals, the other the ominous thud of boots. Panicked, he slammed the book shut, shoving it roughly into the box and jamming the lid shut. Blast his innate curiosity! With a kick, the box was back in its original position, minus a few cobwebs now. The little Invader jogged over to the sleeping Jendai, shaking him with all his strength. But the mechanic was dead to the world. Antennae quivering in apprehension, Zim cocked his head, listening for the blue-eye's pulse. It was slow, sounding almost irregular. He felt his own speed up in fear. "Come on, come on," he muttered, still shaking the prone form. "Get up! I'm doing what you told me! Get up!" His efforts were rewarded with a slight twitch of Jendai's antennae. His eyes narrowed.
The footsteps were replaced by voices. Merana's musical tones harsh with worry. A lisping, low voice answered her with the same tone. At this voice, one blue eye slid open, blurry with sleep. "Shit," Jendai murmured, his tenor voice raspy. "Goddamn it..." Abruptly, he pushed himself up, bones creaking as he did so. His antennae twitched at the door, listening. Merana could be heard arguing with the human, saying something about Jendai having an important, private business call in the room they were in. The tall Irken frowned in worry, then handed something down to Zim. "There's an elevator by the console that takes you into the basement. Go down there and attach this to the door," he hissed urgently, pressing the hologram projector into the Invader's small hands. "Don't touch anything and make sure you lock the door." He gave Zim a shove towards the console, beginning to talk to himself. "Listen, I don't care if you shipped one box too many!" he shouted to the air. "Call it a gift! It's not like those were expensive to make! Just be sure you get... What the hell do you mean, 'it's held up in Chicago'!? That needs to get to New Orleans by tomorrow night!"
Zim swallowed nervously. Jendai had ceased his yelling and was now speaking just loud enough to be heard through the door. Despite the fake anger in his voice, his face was creased with fear, the same fear showing in his antennae. The little Invader hurried over to the indentation in the floor that marked the elevator, allowing his weight to push it down. He sank quickly through a long tunnel. All around him, various rooms of the house flashed by, causing him to hope that the enemy wasn't in one of them as well. It stopped with a jerk, almost knocking him off his feet. Cautious as always, Zim exited, taking stock of the room around him.
A map of the planet covered a bare wall directly before him. Each continent was carved out of the same, iridescent stone Merana wore embedded in her jewelry. On the other walls, larger shapes resembling the earth's large land masses hung, separated into what Zim assumed where countries. In the center of the room, four satellite dishes aimed at each wall, beaming signals onto the gemstone maps. The dishes formed a box around a satin pillow bordered by unlit candles. Curiosity blotted out most things as he started toward the maps that reached to the plain, cement floor. A gloved finger brushed the smooth stone once, experimentally. Don't touch anything, Jendai said in the back of his mind. The Irken backed off, noticing pulsing specks of a thousand different colors spring up all around the maps. Two were green. Only two. Two Irkens on a distant and foreboding planet where the sapient species wanted nothing more than to destroy them. Two green specks alone on a broad expanse of white stone. A swift feeling of loneliness engulfed him. Zim sighed heavily, trudging over to the door to complete his mission.
He froze, staring stock-still in horror.
The doorknob was slowly turning. A human's voice could be heard arguing with Merana. How did they get down here so quickly? His fear lessened slightly as the elevator started on its way down once more. Jendai was coming. But, so was the enemy. Panicking, Zim threw himself against the door, praying his strength would be enough to hold back the enemy until Jendai could arrive.
(A/N#2: Okay, so I kinda cut this one short. I have a hundred other stories going, so don't yell at me. The next chapter will be better. Plus, Jendai and Merana are mine! [hugs her 'Dai stuffie] Yes, I have a stuffie of Jendai. Don't ask. Frank... well, you can take Frank. I don't care. Zim and the rest of the gang aren't mine. See ya until chapter 4!)
Chapter Three:
An Explanation, And A New Enemy
"I should have your SIR ready later today," Jendai said simply. He slid into the seat opposite Zim, a sandwich in hand. After their first meeting, the threesome had moved into the next room, sitting at a large table to continue their conversation. A withered vase of roses sat in the middle, water cloudy with age. Briefly, Zim wondered why it hadn't been changed. "It's a mess, but, uh, I'm almost done." He took a large bite out of the sandwich as he finished.
Merana leaned over, barely avoiding her coffee cup, inspecting the food in the tall Irken's hand. "What in the name of the gods do you call that, 'Dai?"
"Lettuce and ketchup sandwich," the mechanic replied with a sly grin. "Here, want some?" The sandwich was thrust into her face.
The Invader almost laughed at the look the odd human got on her face. "Disgusting!" she groaned, pushing it away. "How can you eat that crap?"
A nonchalant shrug. "I take what I can get." His eyes grew distant again. "Not like I can cook like I used to on this miserable excuse for a planet." The mechanic's gloved hand sought the small human's in a desperate plea for comforting. Her slight fingers rubbed the soft fabric gently.
Zim stared at the contact. He'd heard all about the differences between his Class and Jendai's. Eye color was the most noticeable. Students' eye colors came in every color, shade and tint possible; while Soldiers came in two, red for males, purple for females. Students were, by nature, more prone to deeper emotions and passiveness than their Soldier counterparts. But the biggest difference by far was what happened to each Class after their birth. Soldiers were sent straight from the tubes where they had matured to programming and training with robotic instructors, learning what made you weak and who you served. On the other hand, Students were around other Irkens from the earliest possible moment, preparing them for long lives of dealing with their species. Sure, he'd heard all about the lovers of the Student Class, but witnessing just this bit of foreign emotion sent an eerie feeling through his brain. "Sorry, what?" he asked, snapping out of his musings.
"I asked if you wanted some explanations now," Merana repeated.
"That would be helpful," Zim answered with a slight nod.
Slight, delicate fingers that looked too old for the human wrapped around the cup before her, drawing in its warmth. Her pale lips pursed before she began. "Judging by your first reaction to me," she said, musical voice soft. "and 'Dai's for that matter, you've realized I bear more than a slight resemblance to the humans. I didn't really plan on this..." A slight smile appeared, trying to tie-in some humor with her explanation. "But my species and humans are actually quite similar. Not like Irkens and humans, no. Our differences are very subtle. You don't see them outright, you have to... probe, if you will." She shrugged. "What I'm trying to say Zim, is that I'm an alien to this planet too."
Zim gave her a suspicious squint. "Prove it," was the skeptic's answer.
Her strange amber eyes glazed over with an odd light. It flowed gently through her free hand, coloring it brightly. Almost mechanically, she reached out and touched the roses, letting the light cross from her fingers to the plants. They slowly arched upward, the water clearing as the light entered it. When the glow died, each one stood up as if freshly cut. Jendai applauded against a lifeless leg, smiling around a mouthful of sandwich. "Need any more proof?" Merana asked, cocking one sliver eyebrow. "No human has this ability to heal. Only my race. I believe you Irkens have heard of us." The mechanic looked up from his food at that sentence. We have? his look asked.
The Invader pondered this a moment. His brain wandered over several possibilities, dropping them for another. "Djemy," he declared proudly. "Most intelligent race found in the Ky'satm system. They had abilities no other race in the universe had. Planet J-meyt destroyed two hundred years ago by unknown force before the Empire could assist. Only known ally to Irkens. The Djemy race took refuge on any planet they could get to with their limited-no offence intended-technology. Some found their way on to passing Irken ships and were relocated to one of Irk's habitable moons where Irkens could aid them. Even under Imperial protection, they died off one by one."
"Ah yes, my sad, sad history," Merana sighed. "And it's Jaimeyt, little Invader. Irkens always did have a difficult time with our language. Too complex for their throats to comprehend, as our elders said."
It took Zim a while to process this. "Wait a moment!" he blurted. "If it's your history, then that would make you..."
"Two hundred and five years old." Jendai nearly choked on his sandwich at the look on Zim's face. The Djemy allowed herself a chuckle. "Our race has a very long lifespan," she explained. "I was brought here by my mentor, as I lost my parents during the escape. It was here that I learned our arts and a tolerance for all other races. You see," she paused, adjusting her jewelry. "races from all over the galaxy have bumped into Earth at one time or another. I suppose you could say Earth is a rest stop on the galactic highway. Every so often, someone-be it Irken or otherwise-lands in need of aid. I call them, ha demal unte, 'the lost ones'. Humans often times persecuted them or even imprisoned them. I took it upon myself to seek out any lost ones I could and help them get back to wherever home was."
"And that's how you ended up with a banished mechanic and me," Zim mused. "I'm an Invader," he declared. "not a hem dial tae or whatever."
Jendai added a comment, his words garbled by the last bit of sandwich. He frowned, swallowed and repeated himself. "But, you were in need of our help," the mechanic said pointedly.
"Another thing," the Invader cut in. "how on Irk did you find me?"
Merana flashed a slight smile. "That's where Jendai Kalie comes in."
"That's Kaalae. See; pronounce it with me. Kah-all-lé."
"Whatever." The Djemy muttered something about the aggravating simplicity of Irken names. "Anyway," she began pointedly. "When 'Dai realized he was going to be stuck with me for a hell of a long time, he decided he'd drive around whatever city we were in at the time, looking for anyone who stood out as an outsider. If they needed rescuing, he took care of it and brought them to me." She patted Jendai's hand affectionately. "He works good for being a paralyzed blob of Irken-dom."
The tall Irken only growled. "I'm starved Mer," he said, rising. "I'm going to make another sandwich." The blue eyes focused on Zim. "Want one?"
"Sure..." Zim murmured. He was dazed by all this information. His instructors at the Academy had always said that the Djemy were not concerned with any races other than themselves, making that the reason why they died off. Maybe this one was the exception. Or perhaps it was his instructor who was wrong... "I still find it hard to believe..."
"What?" Merana asked, arching a pale eyebrow. "Well, yes, I suppose my story is hard to accept at first, but it gets easier with time." She looked him in the eye. "Trust me," she ordered, amber eyes flashing green briefly as their pupils narrowed like a cat's.
"Goddamn it!" came Jendai's voice from the kitchen. A long stream of human curses followed the crash of a glass. "Piece of shit!"
Zim's antennae fell back involuntarily. "What's his problem?" he asked timidly.
"Oh, him..." the Djemy sighed, leaning back in her chair. She shook her head. "Don't mind Jendai. Don't get on his nerves either. Last poor bastard who did that found themselves taking a dip in the pond with a black eye and more than a few broken things. He's got a lot of anger in him, Jendai Kaalae," she said softly. "I dunno what happened to him back on your planet, but it... I'm not quite sure what it did to him." She looked at her hands, cupping the air slightly. "Just... when I tried to heal him for the first time, I just got this feeling like he wasn't always so angry. He was innocent once, then something happened and made him the way he is now."
"I think I may know," Zim began, but was stopped by Jendai's entrance.
"Mer. He's back," was the clipped sentence.
"How do you know that?" she asked suspiciously. Before the Irken could answer, an alarm went off. It wasn't too loud, just loud enough to alert the occupants of the house before the intruder could get too close. Her suspicious look turned incredulous. "How the hell do you do that, Kaalae?"
The mechanic gave her a sincere grin. A gloved hand tapped the base of his antennae as he spoke. "These don't let an Irken down," he replied cockily. The Irken eyes focused on Zim, one half-closed in questioning. "Don't tell me you didn't hear anything, Invader."
"I thought I did," Zim answered truthfully. He stood. "Is this human you speak of dangerous to us?" At their strange looks, he elaborated. "Because if so, I am willing to aid you in the defense of this base."
Jendai chuckled slightly, folding his arms over his chest. "Sorry to disappoint you, Invader," he said. "But, we got this under control. Yeah, that human bastard is dangerous to us. Me and Mer especially. Wants us both dead. Personally, I think he's the asshole who shot me in the first place. Damn, I'd like to..." he stopped, realizing he'd gotten off-track. "Anyway, he's some kind of government human. Works to rat-out everyone Mer tries to help, and bring both of us in as aliens. Hasn't succeeded yet, thanks to my security systems."
"What are you going to do?" the Invader asked slowly.
"Drive him off our property," the mechanic said simply, reaching around to press a button on his back pod. Almost instantly, his olive-green skin changed to the pinkish human coloration while his antennae vanished and his robotic legs became his real ones. Zim was startled to realize the disguise looked almost exactly like the human he'd seen at the 24/7. "Very convincing hologram projector," he said with a grin, new pupils of human eyes contracting in the bright light. He obviously knew what Zim was thinking and wasn't about to either confirm or deny it. "Mer invents 'em. I install 'em."
The Djemy rose, moving to the disguised Irken. "You stay hidden, Zim," she ordered. "Your disguise isn't around and he's bound to force his way in. There's a pot by the sink in the kitchen you should fit in." The doorbell rang. "Go on. We'll be fine." They watched him scurry off before heading to the door.
Jendai was the one who pulled it open. It was a heavy, solid oak number with polished brass fittings and intricate carvings Merana said were to ward off unwanted spirits. The Irken stuck his head out, glaring menacingly at the human. No carvings, despite how strong they were said to be, could keep this unwanted spirit away. "What?" he growled, allowing the door to open just enough for Merana to peer out from behind him.
The human facing them was not tall or imposing, yet he carried a strange air of one who cannot be touched by anything or anyone. His name was Frank. Neither one knew if he had a last name. They just knew that beyond that thin, dirty blonde hair, wet gray eyes and standard frame lay the greatest threat to both of their lives. "I finally got the authorities' permission to search your house for proof," replied an astonishingly low voice that whistled through teeth while forming S sounds. "When I find it, both of you will be dead on some autopsy table."
"If we're doing any thing wrong, damn it, then," Jendai began, but shut up when Merana put her finger to his lips.
"Let's humor him," she murmured. "Come on in." She pushed the protective Irken away from the doorway, allowing their enemy in. One of her thin arms was all that stood between Jendai and the human intruder. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see his hand clench in an effort to keep himself from striking Frank. Her delicate fingers sought his to give the long-fingered hands something to do. The Irken stiffened at the touch, then relaxed. Still tense, my 'Dai...she thought with a rueful smile.
The human had begun to move through the house. He thumped against the walls, occasionally pulling out some device to scan everything. So thorough was he, that it took him an hour to leave the entryway. Jendai grew more and more apprehensive, his antennae alternating between falling back and pricking forward beneath the holographic screen. "He's gonna find my room and Zim," he hissed at the softest Irken voices could go. "Not to mention the basement! I have to go... now!"
Merana squeezed his hand briefly before he ducked off in the direction of the kitchen. The Irken's departure did not go unnoticed by Frank. "Where's he going?" the human barked gruffly.
"Important phone call. Business matters," she lied with a shrug.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Meanwhile, Zim crouched as close to the bottom of the pot as he could. Footsteps were approaching rapidly. Footsteps that lacked the click of Jendai's robotic legs or the slap of Merana's sandals against the floor. He shivered. A squeak of fright almost escaped him as the cover to the pot lifted. "Get out," Jendai snapped down at him. "Get out now. The human's coming and he's too thorough for my liking." Zim found his collar being seized by a strong arm. "We're hiding in my workroom."
"Won't he look there?" Zim asked quietly, his gaze reverted to the floor. Being hoisted up so high made him slightly nervous.
Jendai had already begun jogging towards his workroom, the click of his robotic legs hidden by the hologram. "Not if the door's locked," he grunted between strides. As they passed one room, Merana was heard stalling for time. Zim could recognize the hallways he was carried through, noting this as a major achievement. Sooner than later, Jendai had thrown the door to his room open and locked it behind them. He sighed heavily, shutting off his hologram and collapsing to the floor. Ragged breaths were choked from his throat, trying to turn his face the proper color. "Nerves and running through this house don't mix," he said finally. The tall mechanic sat still a while longer, gulping down air as if it were fine wine. "Wears your mind out, running with these, eh?" He looked sleepy suddenly, almost as if he were about to faint.
The Soldier looked up at him sympathetically. "I take it you don't run much," he said slowly, still unsure of how to proceed with this Irken. He doubted he ever would.
"No," Jendai shook his head. "I work my arms mostly. They're used more in my line of work anyway." He flexed the appendages for emphasis, half-smiling at the muscles that emerged. Irkens were a scrawny species as a rule, but Soldiers-and apparently mechanics by Jendai's demonstration-tended to build more muscle structure than others. The tall Irken took a deep breath, closing his eyes sleepily. "Wake me up when you hear him coming, all right?" he murmured. "My brain's tried."
Zim nodded sympathetically. Unaccustomed use of the back pod attachments often left someone feeling sleepy. Rest was always the best thing, providing the party didn't slip into a coma during sleep. Although, how one such as this Irken could be unused to using their attachments was unknown, Zim left it alone. Jendai had already nodded off, a worried frown creasing his visage. Bored, the Invader wandered around the workroom, examining things he hadn't found time to before.
One small box, lodged away in a dark corner, protected by cobwebs, caught his eye. Curious, he wandered over to it, sweeping away the filth of neglect with his one gloved hand. "Kaalae #4032," read the carved Irken script. Interest pricked. There was no lock, so Zim simply lifted the lid, covering his sneeze at the dust that billowed out from the old box. Inside were precious few things. A leather-bound book the size of his fists was shoved in the corner, almost covered by a few strips of Irken cloth and a few hologram capsules. He picked up the holograms first, ignoring the ripped bits of an old mechanic's uniform. Flipping the first open, he frowned at its antiquity. The out-of-date technology showed two young Students, both male, one with blue eyes and the other with purple, standing together and laughing. One wore the uniform of a scholar, and the other-the blue eyed one-wore a mechanic's. The scholar towered over Jendai, and was probably around 2'6" at the time. Jendai and one of his Nursery mates? Their age looked about right for graduation from one.
He set the capsule aside, careful to close it. The next one was an older Jendai, this time with his arms wrapped around a small female chemical researcher. She was beautiful, leggy with sweeping antennae and purple-red eyes. An old girlfriend perhaps? This too was set aside, also closed.
Yet another depicted two mechanics, one male, the other female. They looked as if in the middle of a ceremony of some sort, with the female kneeling before the male. The orange-eyed male was obviously the elder one, as he towered over the young, magenta-eyed female. Both had a look of joy on their faces. Most likely old friends of Jendai. He closed this as well, carefully selecting the last one.
Another holograph of a student and their teacher. Instantly, he recognized the small student in the holograph as Jendai, a young Jendai. The Irken beside him was in her later years, as the black sash across her chest and black dots sprinkled above her misty maroon eyes. Jendai clung to her, his innocent blue eyes very wide. One of the female's black-gloved hands lay over his head protectively. A soft, gentle smile wrapped around her face. Jendai's old teacher. Zim sighed, placing the capsule back with the others. He picked up the book.
"My name, at least the only one I've ever known," the book said in slightly messy Irken. "is Jendai Kaalae. Mechanic, blue-eyed, Jendai Kaalae. Kaalae number 4032. My teacher was maroon-eyed Daske Kaalae, and my student was gray-eyed Min Kaalae. One is dead, and I have little idea what became of the other. My best friend was the purple-eyed scholar Kasden Aman. I have no best friend now, although Kaml Tikem-an orange eyed mechanic-comes close. I had loved, once, while on Irk. Her name was bicolor Leeri Olon; she was a chemical researcher, and one of the best. I miss her so much it hurts to even set this down on paper. Mother of Irk..." The page ended there. Jendai's journal? A pang of sympathy graced his mind. Poor Kaalae. He wondered how long the teacher had been dead. Students never went very far from their teachers after becoming old enough to work on their own. The other female Jendai had been with-the one with the bicolor eyes-must be this Leeri. Frowning with curiosity, Zim read another page.
"Kaml, Lidge, Regert, Min, Leeri, Kasden... Leeri, Kasden... I can hardly write your names because of the pain. Not in my legs. I stopped feeling that a long time ago. Leeri... Kas... I can contact everyone else, except you two. Not that I would contact everyone else. I've heard of the uprisings. "The Kaalae name lives on." Mother of Irk what I wouldn't give to see our class finally tear down the social ranking of height. I doubt we will. Soldiers are too full of themselves to let us win. And I have the scars to prove it. Kas, if only you weren't so blind. You believed it all. All the lies, all the tricks, all the mental ploys. You're one of them now, my Tallest. And Leeri... Leeri..."
Jendai snorted in his sleep, startling Zim. He quickly shoved the book back into the box with the capsules, shaking. Seeing that the mechanic was going back to sleep, just waking enough to rearrange his useless legs in a more comfortable position. The Invader sighed with relief, picking up the journal once more.
"I can hardly remember anyone anymore. The Djemy Merana says that's just my mind healing. I don't believe her. How can forgetting who I am and what I was heal me? My legs are never going to work again. I know that much now. Forgetting Irk and everyone I cared about isn't going to make me spring out of this chair and dance around like a drunken Soldier."
Zim winced at the insult. Jendai must have hated Soldiers very much. He kept reading. These thoughts gave him a vague idea of how to deal with the only member of his species he knew he'd find on Earth for a long time.
"Things haven't been going as smoothly as I'd like. For one thing, I'm not so healthy anymore. My legs ache... They shouldn't. I've read up on Irken paralysis from a book a Soldier left here. What a Soldier was doing with a book, I don't know. I shouldn't feel a thing anymore. Not to mention I'm feeling sick. I can't sleep, no human food is edible, I can't concentrate on work, getting bad headaches, I'm getting constantly burned by this 'rain' thing... I want to die. I want to see Daske's face again and have her tell me everything is going to be okay. Maybe I will die. Mother of Irk knows I can't live here any longer."
He gulped. Suicide? Things must have been awful for Jendai to even consider that option. Again, he dared read more.
"It's been a while since I've been strong enough to even write. Last week, I tried to die. Being who I am, I didn't have the guts to use a weapon, so I drank something humans call 'antifreeze.' It said on the human TV that it was a deadly poison. It tasted something like ahki and soap. A while later, I threw up. Everything got blurry. Before I could die, the Djemy healed me. I was sick for a long time after. Why she saved me, I have no idea. Couldn't she see how badly I wanted death? She told me I was depressed, and often times depressed humans try and die as I had done. I'm not human. How can I catch a human disease? She is forcing me to eat human food and work again. At night, she commands me to take pills to make me sleep. I don't fight it anymore. I'm too broken, physically and mentally. It doesn't matter anymore anyway. There's no Soldiers here to be unbreakable for. Maybe that's what kept me alive on Irk... Odd how hatred can keep you alive when you have nothing left to cling to."
Footsteps approached, one having the safe sound of slapping sandals, the other the ominous thud of boots. Panicked, he slammed the book shut, shoving it roughly into the box and jamming the lid shut. Blast his innate curiosity! With a kick, the box was back in its original position, minus a few cobwebs now. The little Invader jogged over to the sleeping Jendai, shaking him with all his strength. But the mechanic was dead to the world. Antennae quivering in apprehension, Zim cocked his head, listening for the blue-eye's pulse. It was slow, sounding almost irregular. He felt his own speed up in fear. "Come on, come on," he muttered, still shaking the prone form. "Get up! I'm doing what you told me! Get up!" His efforts were rewarded with a slight twitch of Jendai's antennae. His eyes narrowed.
The footsteps were replaced by voices. Merana's musical tones harsh with worry. A lisping, low voice answered her with the same tone. At this voice, one blue eye slid open, blurry with sleep. "Shit," Jendai murmured, his tenor voice raspy. "Goddamn it..." Abruptly, he pushed himself up, bones creaking as he did so. His antennae twitched at the door, listening. Merana could be heard arguing with the human, saying something about Jendai having an important, private business call in the room they were in. The tall Irken frowned in worry, then handed something down to Zim. "There's an elevator by the console that takes you into the basement. Go down there and attach this to the door," he hissed urgently, pressing the hologram projector into the Invader's small hands. "Don't touch anything and make sure you lock the door." He gave Zim a shove towards the console, beginning to talk to himself. "Listen, I don't care if you shipped one box too many!" he shouted to the air. "Call it a gift! It's not like those were expensive to make! Just be sure you get... What the hell do you mean, 'it's held up in Chicago'!? That needs to get to New Orleans by tomorrow night!"
Zim swallowed nervously. Jendai had ceased his yelling and was now speaking just loud enough to be heard through the door. Despite the fake anger in his voice, his face was creased with fear, the same fear showing in his antennae. The little Invader hurried over to the indentation in the floor that marked the elevator, allowing his weight to push it down. He sank quickly through a long tunnel. All around him, various rooms of the house flashed by, causing him to hope that the enemy wasn't in one of them as well. It stopped with a jerk, almost knocking him off his feet. Cautious as always, Zim exited, taking stock of the room around him.
A map of the planet covered a bare wall directly before him. Each continent was carved out of the same, iridescent stone Merana wore embedded in her jewelry. On the other walls, larger shapes resembling the earth's large land masses hung, separated into what Zim assumed where countries. In the center of the room, four satellite dishes aimed at each wall, beaming signals onto the gemstone maps. The dishes formed a box around a satin pillow bordered by unlit candles. Curiosity blotted out most things as he started toward the maps that reached to the plain, cement floor. A gloved finger brushed the smooth stone once, experimentally. Don't touch anything, Jendai said in the back of his mind. The Irken backed off, noticing pulsing specks of a thousand different colors spring up all around the maps. Two were green. Only two. Two Irkens on a distant and foreboding planet where the sapient species wanted nothing more than to destroy them. Two green specks alone on a broad expanse of white stone. A swift feeling of loneliness engulfed him. Zim sighed heavily, trudging over to the door to complete his mission.
He froze, staring stock-still in horror.
The doorknob was slowly turning. A human's voice could be heard arguing with Merana. How did they get down here so quickly? His fear lessened slightly as the elevator started on its way down once more. Jendai was coming. But, so was the enemy. Panicking, Zim threw himself against the door, praying his strength would be enough to hold back the enemy until Jendai could arrive.
(A/N#2: Okay, so I kinda cut this one short. I have a hundred other stories going, so don't yell at me. The next chapter will be better. Plus, Jendai and Merana are mine! [hugs her 'Dai stuffie] Yes, I have a stuffie of Jendai. Don't ask. Frank... well, you can take Frank. I don't care. Zim and the rest of the gang aren't mine. See ya until chapter 4!)
