A figure, hidden in the shadows of the night, sat alone on the purple
rooftop of an obscure blue-green house. Lucky for him it was dark, or else
his appearance would be causing quite a commotion on the silent street. For
this creature was not human. Not human at all. Nor was he wearing a
disguise to protect him from discovery. But it didn't matter. Not right
now. Not in the night.
The creature suddenly opened his pupil-less, glinting ruby eyes to gaze at the stars. Moonlight reflected off his face to reveal extremely pale green skin. Two, straightened black antenna blew softly in the cool night breeze. He sat up, rubbed a sore spot on his back, and tried to adjust the silver and red metal pod attached to his back before yawning and lying against roof.
Still gazing into the stars during this rare moment of serenity in his complicated life, the Irken began remembering his home. How he longed to return, even through he'd been banished due to a little…trigger-happy accident that wiped half of it out.
"I don't care what they do to me," Zim sighed and shook his head, "They can whip me until I cough up blood. I just want to see Irk again. Just once more…" he laid his head back to look up at the heavens and exhaled deeply.
A sudden clunk of metal was heard which made Zim jump and turn around. A look of relief fell across his face when he saw it was just Gir hanging off the purple satellite like a monkey. The android's bright blue stare through oversized eyes seemed to glow brighter then usual during this time of night. The tiny robot flung himself from the satellite and right next to Zim on the roof. Gir sat down and gave his master a confused, insane stare.
"Master?" Gir's high, metallic voice seemed to echo through Zim's sensitive antenna when he spoke. "Master, whatcha doin' out here all alone?" he asked innocently.
Zim could only stare back at the droid with the same amount of confusion in his eyes. Though he was only a robot, programmed to serve and obey, (which rarely ever happened) Zim could sometimes feel a sense of concern from Gir when he was sick or frustrated or just lonesome, as though the little android actually had some kind of caring feelings of making sure his master was always well and on top of things. It was almost as if, over the time they had spent on Earth, Gir had developed some sort of…personality.
A tug on his sleeve brought Zim back to reality. Impatient for an answer, Gir whimpered softly and tugged harder. Zim shook his head and looked at the stars once more. He reached his hand toward the sky and pointed at the faintest one, which could hardly be seen in the great sea of blackness.
"See that tiny star Gir?" the Irken asked, "That's our home planet, Irk. I was just thinking about how wonderful it would be to return home…just for a moment. I miss it so much."
"But Earth is nice!" Gir insisted, "It gots tacos and cupcakes and chocolate-bubblegum and scary monkey and tuna!"
Zim shook his head again and gazed at the ground below. "That's only what you know, Gir. You've never been to Irk."
"Tell me 'bout it?" Gir half yawned and laid back against the roof next to Zim.
"Well," Zim began, "Irk is three times the size of this planet. It's a bit hotter too, but that doesn't matter. The cities are incredible. Crowded yes, but still astonishingly beautiful. But the one thing I miss most about Irk is all its secrets. Massive structures that have been buried in the red desert sands over thousands of years, underground caves with strange unreadable hieroglyphics, mysterious places where people go and never return. They're everywhere and our greatest scientists still leave them unexplained!" the homesick Irken sighed and stretched his thin arms. "This planet is just too boring. They hardly have any secrets. Sure, there's the Bermuda Triangle and Stonehenge, but nothing interesting like on Irk."
Gir curled up nice and snug, and was just about ready to fall asleep. "Maybeh you just need to give Earth more of a chance, Master," he yawned sleepily. "Maybeh they do have secrets. You just gotta find 'em."
"Maybe…" after a pause Zim tore his red eyes away from the glittering heavens, sat up, and cracked his aching back. "It's late, Gir. Go inside and recharge your battery, but don't over do it again. The last thing I need is you frolicking around in the lab. I have work to do."
The two partners slid down the gutter, walked past the freakishly large lawn gnomes, and went inside. It was a shame too, for if they had stayed out just a bit longer, perhaps they would have noticed the large barn owl, fluttering past in the night air with a package and few urgent parchment letters clamped tightly in its beak.
The creature suddenly opened his pupil-less, glinting ruby eyes to gaze at the stars. Moonlight reflected off his face to reveal extremely pale green skin. Two, straightened black antenna blew softly in the cool night breeze. He sat up, rubbed a sore spot on his back, and tried to adjust the silver and red metal pod attached to his back before yawning and lying against roof.
Still gazing into the stars during this rare moment of serenity in his complicated life, the Irken began remembering his home. How he longed to return, even through he'd been banished due to a little…trigger-happy accident that wiped half of it out.
"I don't care what they do to me," Zim sighed and shook his head, "They can whip me until I cough up blood. I just want to see Irk again. Just once more…" he laid his head back to look up at the heavens and exhaled deeply.
A sudden clunk of metal was heard which made Zim jump and turn around. A look of relief fell across his face when he saw it was just Gir hanging off the purple satellite like a monkey. The android's bright blue stare through oversized eyes seemed to glow brighter then usual during this time of night. The tiny robot flung himself from the satellite and right next to Zim on the roof. Gir sat down and gave his master a confused, insane stare.
"Master?" Gir's high, metallic voice seemed to echo through Zim's sensitive antenna when he spoke. "Master, whatcha doin' out here all alone?" he asked innocently.
Zim could only stare back at the droid with the same amount of confusion in his eyes. Though he was only a robot, programmed to serve and obey, (which rarely ever happened) Zim could sometimes feel a sense of concern from Gir when he was sick or frustrated or just lonesome, as though the little android actually had some kind of caring feelings of making sure his master was always well and on top of things. It was almost as if, over the time they had spent on Earth, Gir had developed some sort of…personality.
A tug on his sleeve brought Zim back to reality. Impatient for an answer, Gir whimpered softly and tugged harder. Zim shook his head and looked at the stars once more. He reached his hand toward the sky and pointed at the faintest one, which could hardly be seen in the great sea of blackness.
"See that tiny star Gir?" the Irken asked, "That's our home planet, Irk. I was just thinking about how wonderful it would be to return home…just for a moment. I miss it so much."
"But Earth is nice!" Gir insisted, "It gots tacos and cupcakes and chocolate-bubblegum and scary monkey and tuna!"
Zim shook his head again and gazed at the ground below. "That's only what you know, Gir. You've never been to Irk."
"Tell me 'bout it?" Gir half yawned and laid back against the roof next to Zim.
"Well," Zim began, "Irk is three times the size of this planet. It's a bit hotter too, but that doesn't matter. The cities are incredible. Crowded yes, but still astonishingly beautiful. But the one thing I miss most about Irk is all its secrets. Massive structures that have been buried in the red desert sands over thousands of years, underground caves with strange unreadable hieroglyphics, mysterious places where people go and never return. They're everywhere and our greatest scientists still leave them unexplained!" the homesick Irken sighed and stretched his thin arms. "This planet is just too boring. They hardly have any secrets. Sure, there's the Bermuda Triangle and Stonehenge, but nothing interesting like on Irk."
Gir curled up nice and snug, and was just about ready to fall asleep. "Maybeh you just need to give Earth more of a chance, Master," he yawned sleepily. "Maybeh they do have secrets. You just gotta find 'em."
"Maybe…" after a pause Zim tore his red eyes away from the glittering heavens, sat up, and cracked his aching back. "It's late, Gir. Go inside and recharge your battery, but don't over do it again. The last thing I need is you frolicking around in the lab. I have work to do."
The two partners slid down the gutter, walked past the freakishly large lawn gnomes, and went inside. It was a shame too, for if they had stayed out just a bit longer, perhaps they would have noticed the large barn owl, fluttering past in the night air with a package and few urgent parchment letters clamped tightly in its beak.