1 Chapter 2 – The Return
Dib snored softly, laying fully dressed on his bed, sheets tangled as if his sleep had been fitful. Pale moonlight bathed his room, casting odd shadows on the wall. Suddenly, the pale light began to grow brighter, until it was as bright as morning. Dib twitched a few times, then opened his eyes and blinked, groggy. "Huh…?" He hardly had time to think when he felt as if something struck him in the chest, and Dib began to rise up from the bed, tangled covers sliding to the floor. ~This is it! I'm being abducted. ~ He thought, finding himself unable to move or speak, as the light carried him up and out into the night. ~So, you've come back for the genius super baby, have you? ~ Dib felt strangely smug at the thought.
A dark shape hovered over the Membrane's house, and Dib could see that he was slowly rising towards it. He couldn't make out any details about the craft – what he assumed to be a craft, at any rate -- because the light enveloping him was too bright. The closer he came to the black outline in the sky, the brighter the light became around him, making him dizzy. Dib squeezed his eyes shut against the pain of the light, which grew until it seemed it would burn right through him. He wanted to cry out, tried to cry out, but everything slowly began to fade to black.
* * *
When consciousness returned, it came slowly. The first sensation Dib became aware of was a hum, deep and low, and all around. He felt it more than heard, a vibration, a tremor, faint but persistent. The next thing Dib noticed was how much his head hurt. Memory flooded back then, and he remembered floating in the cool night air, and a terrible white light enveloping him. ~I've been abducted… ~ He realized at last.
Dib opened his eyes cautiously and blinked a few times. He could see nothing, absolutely nothing. His breath caught in panic and his heart fluttered. ~Oh god, I'm blind. ~ He tried sitting up, and only then realized that he was bound. He lay atop something flat, hard and uncomfortably cool; his arms, torso and legs were strapped down well enough that he was certain he couldn't free himself. His heart began to pound, rational thought failing him as primal, animal fear took over. He struggled suddenly and violently against his bonds, muscles straining. Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
"Hello? Hello!? Can anyone hear me?" He cried out, his voice shaking and pitched high with fear. Dib twisted in his restraints, struggling to break free, even as his mind was telling him it was useless. He couldn't just lay there, helpless.
Just then, some kind of doorway slid open, whisper quiet, a wedge of pale light spilling through from somewhere beyond. A figure moved to the doorway, darkly silhouetted by the light beyond; it was tall, taller than Dib himself, he was certain, and bone thin. Dib froze, eyes locked on the shadowed outline in the doorway, and sweat began trickling down his body. He tried swallowing, his throat suddenly dry, but found he was too paralyzed with fright to do even that.
And then, the dark figure spoke. "So, you're awake. Please don't struggle, I assure you that your restraints are quite secure. I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." It took a few steps closer to Dib.
"W-who are you? What do you want with me?" Dib managed to croak out. In his fright, it hadn't even occurred to him yet that he wasn't blind. "What do I want?" The figure repeated, sounding almost… amused. "The question isn't what –I- want, the question is, what do you want? Think about where you are, fith…er, young human." The voice paused a moment. "I know you, I've watched you for quite some time now. Isn't this the one thing you've always wanted… validation of your beliefs? Hard proof that "we" exist?"
Dib took a few moments to process what the figure was saying. Something about the alien was… familiar. He couldn't place just why, or how, it nagged at the back of his brain. There was something more than amusement in the… things'… voice, it was almost mocking, Dib realized.
"Doesn't this make you happy, Dib?" The figure continued. "Happy?!" Dib said, astonished. "No, this doesn't make me happy! I'd be happy if you'd let me out of these restraints and tell me what's going on!" Dib's fear was slowly subsiding, and he was beginning to think more clearly.
Just then, Dib realized what was so familiar about the figure. ~That voice… That mocking voice… ~ "Zim?!?" Dib cried, astounded. The figure then suddenly bent double, laughing out loud. Dib knew that laugh. "Zim, it is you! Get over here and let me go, damn it!"
The alien continued laughing gleefully. "Pathetic human worm-baby, you haven't changed one bit." The words didn't come across as insulting as they could have, Zim's tone more amused than anything else. Still chortling, the alien stepped back to the door and hit a key, lights sprang on abruptly, illuminating the chamber.
Dib shut his eyes against the sudden brightness, but after a moment he became accustomed. Zim undid Dib's restraints, allowing the human to sit up and get a good look at his surroundings. The chamber they were in looked very much like a hospital room, white and sterile, though not as harsh as he'd imagined. The table that he sat on was the only thing really out of place in the room; it looked more like a metal cafeteria table that had been hastily fitted with leather straps, than a hospital bed. Dib's cheeks flushed; it had all been a kind of prank, Zim had pulled a prank on him. Finally he focused his eyes on Zim, who had stopped laughing and now watched Dib with interest
Dib cleared his throat, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt. "Okay Zim, no more games. What do you want?" Dib was surprised at how much the Irken had grown since he had last seen him. He was most definitely taller than Dib, in fact he would stand a good head taller than most human men, Dib would guess. But Zim was as skinny as he had ever been, which, combined with his height, made the alien look a bit skeletal.
Zim crossed his arms behind him, taking on a serious air that seemed unusual coming from this particular Irken. "This is no game, Dib. I've brought you here to ask for…" He hesitated only a fraction of a second, but Dib noticed. "For your help, concerning something very important to my people." Zim looked Dib in the eyes.
"Help? Help!?" Dib jumped down from the table and nearly laughed. "Zim, you tried to kill me more times than I can count. Your people sent you to Earth to get rid of you, and you tried to DESTROY it! And now you want me to help you? Forget it! Whatever it is, forget it, Zim."
Zim ground his teeth, fist clenching; Dib expected the Irken to explode into curses and toss him into some kind of cell. Instead, the tall alien took a breath… and calmed visibly. "That is true, Dib. I did try to kill you and conquer your planet." Zim agreed, if a bit grudgingly. "But that was the past. This is different, and I… I need you, Dib." The Irken frowned, clearly finding it hard to ask anything from a lowly human, Dib thought. "You're the only one I can come to."
Dib snorted, crossing his arm over his chest. "Who do you think you're fooling, huh? You've come back here to try and take over earth again, haven't you?" Dib stepped closer to the Irken, glaring up at him. "You're just trying to trick me one more time."
Zim shook his head. "You have no clue how very ignorant you are, Dib. You and all your kind." His voice was quiet, his tone almost gentle. "There is a whole universe out there that you know nothing about. But I do. I've seen it, Dib. I've seen wonderful things, and things that I wish I could erase from my mind. Things that you couldn't begin to imagine.
"Yes, I tried to conquer your planet. I did that for my people, for the Irken Empire, because that it how we survive. That is how we keep balance. We Irkens have a need to control things, Dib. That is why we conquer worlds – we want to control them, to save the wonderful things they contain, and to do away with the horrible things. But we're not murderers, and were not horrible dictators. We take care of the races that we conquer, we give them jobs, we keep them fed, and we protect their families.
"What I'm trying to say is that my people believe this is our purpose, this is our cause. And, how is this any different that what your leaders did on Earth? They united the different peoples, for the good of all. This is what the Irken do."
Dib frowned. "But the peoples of earth agreed to the union – they weren't forced into it by some invading army. The Irken don't give anyone a chance."
"This isn't important, Dib! Look, when I said there were things that you don't know about… the Irken Army is at war, Dib. An alien race called the Kann have begun an invasion of Irken space..."
"Aww, does the mighty Irken Empire have a little competition?" Dib mocked. "You don't understand!" Zim cried, nearly taking Dib by the collar of his shirt. "They're not doing this for the good of anyone but themselves! They're taking slaves, Dib, pillaging whole planets, destroying what they don't find "useful". And they're heading this way. Soon they'll attack Irk, my home. And I don't know if my people can withstand them. After that, they'll eventually make their way here, Dib, to Earth." Zim gave Dib a chance to let the news sink in.
"The Irken Army isn't strong enough to strand against the Kann. But, I think if you could help me to convince your father and the other councilors to help, then maybe, just maybe, we all have a chance."
Dib looked at his feet, solemn. He was quiet for a long time. When he finally spoke his voice was barely more than a whisper. "Why would my father listen to you, Zim, or me, for that matter? He thinks I'm crazy and you…" Dib trailed off.
Zim took a breath and looked Dib in the eyes. "There is something else you need to know, Dib." Zim drew the human close, breathing a whisper into his ear. Dib's mouth hung open.
* * *
It was still early when Dib dragged his sister out of bed, the sun still well away from rising. Gaz rubbed her eyes, glowering. "Dib, its Saturday. Leave me alone." She rolled over, pulling a sheet over her head. Dib shook her again. "Gaz this is important, I need you to take me to see Dad." Gaz pulled the sheets down just enough to peer over the edge through heavy-lidded eyes. "You want to see Da… aaaa… " She broke off into a jaw- cracking yawn. "Dad? You'll never get in. Even family has to make an appointment months in advance to get an audience with the Council. You know that."
"This is –important- Gaz." The girl just flopped back, burrowing into her mattress. "Whatever it is, it can wait a few hours. I'm tired." A voice then rang out from the open doorway. "Oh, I'm afraid it can't wait." Gaz sat bolt upright in bed, staring wide-eyed at the figure in the doorway. "It can't be…"
Minutes later Gaz was dressed and seated in the driver's side of the hovercar, Dib next to her, and three hooded figures riding in the back. "I can't believe I'm doing this for –you- Zim, of all people." One of the figures in the back leaned forward, impatient. "Drive faster." Gaz sighed, and accelerated.
Dib marched into the Council Hall, black coat streaming behind him, flanked on one side by Gaz and leading three tall, cloaked and hooded figures behind. The entourage strode purposefully past the front desk, paying no heed to the mousy clerk that tried to stop them.
"Excuse me… H-hey! Wait… w-wait! Do you have a security p-pass? Y- you're not p-permitted in there without clearance! Security! S-security!!" Moments later three armed and armored men stepped out to block Dib's path, raising their firearms. "Halt, that's far enough." Dib slowed, eyeing the men cautiously. "My name is Dib Membrane, Councilor Membrane is my father. It's urgent that I speak with him."
"I'm sorry son, no one gets by without a pass. You and your friends will have to come with us." Just then, the doors to the inner chamber opened, and the ten members of the Council stepped out, their heads bent close in conversation. One by one they fell silent as they noticed the standoff between Dib and the guards. "Dad. Dad!" Dib called out.
"Dib? What's going on?" Councilor Membrane stepped forward. "Captain, explain this? Why are you detaining my children?" The middle guard turned towards the Council, tossing a salute. "I'm sorry sir, they just marched in without any clearance. I didn't know…" Membrane raised a hand to silence the man. "No matter. Dib, I think you have some explaining to do." Dib opened his mouth to speak, but before a word escaped his lips, one of the hooded figures stepped forward.
"I believe I can explain better, Councilor Membrane." All eyes went to the tall, cloaked person, the guards tightening their grips on their weapons. "And you are?" Councilor Membrane asked.
The cloaked figure lowered his hood, revealing his green skin, delicate antennae and large red eyes. "I am Zim. The Almighty Tallest of the Irken Empire. We have to talk."
* * *
Dib and Gaz were sent to the lounge, waiting while the Terran Council met with the representatives from Irk. Dib was more than a little put out at having been kept from the negotiations, but there was little he could do. Gaz on the other hand seemed rather un-fazed by it all, lying on a couch snoring loudly. Dib sat on the arm of another couch, kicking his feet in boredom, wondering just what was going on behind the closed doors of the Council Hall…
Prof. Membrane, along with the other nine members of the Council, sat in a semi-circle at one end of the meeting Hall, seated in heavy wooden chairs. Zim stood before the Council, his aides, Red and Purple, seated behind him, their hoods hanging down. Zim's own cloak lay sprawled across his otherwise empty chair. The Almighty Tallest dressed a bit differently than had Red and Purple in their day; rather than an armored chestplate and ankle-length kilt, he wore lose trousers and a tunic, both lightly embroidered, with a smooth cape tossed back over his shoulders. During his time on earth, Zim had had the opportunity to study human history and had been intrigued by certain clothing styles, which he since introduced into Irken society.
Many aspects of human society had begun to interest Zim in the years after his departure from the world. He had spent a long time reviewing the history of his own world, and had begun to see that where it was weak, humans strangely enough were strong. Most of all, he admired their individuality, their need to control their own lives, their own destinies, their passion for freedom and equality. It was these qualities that convinced him that humans could help him defeat the Kann, that with their aid he could win this war.
"… And now the Kann are moving further into Irken territories, consuming every resource of value to them, enslaving thousands of sentient beings to do their most lowly of tasks. If we do not strike at them soon, they will eventually push their way to our homeworld, Irk, and then all will be lost for us. It will not be long after that before they work their way to earth. Perhaps a year. Perhaps sooner. Your technologies are too limited to stand against the Kann, you will be taken without effort." Zim folded his hands in front of him, falling silent to let his dire news sink in.
Many of the Council looked uncomfortable, exchanging glances with each other, shifting in their seats; Councilor White, once known as Agent Darkbooty, sat on the edge of his chair, watching the Tallest with interest. Councilor Membrane was the only member who didn't look at Zim, rather seeming to look inward, thoughtful. There was a long silence; Red and Purple exchanged a doubtful look behind Zim.
One of the Councilors finally cleared his throat. "And what, precisely, do you want from us?" Then he added a hesitant, "Tallest Zim." Zim spread his hands. "I propose an alliance between our two peoples. We can provide you with the technologies not only to defend yourselves from the Kann, but also to vastly improve your society. And you can provide for us your spirit, your passion for your freedom, your desire to control your own lives, your willingness to fight and die for these ideals you hold so dear."
"In essence," Another Councilor spoke up. "We give you soldiers to fight your war, and you give us… what? Ships? Weapons?" Zim shook his head, looking almost amused. "Yes, ships and weapons, and so much more. One of my aides will provide you with some schematics that should give you as taste of what we can do…" He made a motion with one hand, and Red rose to begin passing out data-pads to the Council members. Every now and then he'd lean close and murmur with special pride, "See, lasers." Red glanced back to grin widely at Purple, who folded his arms and pouted silently.
Membrane poured over the information for a long moment, then rose. "We must convene to discuss your proposal, Tallest Zim. If you and your aides would be so kind as to wait in the lounge… Whatever you need will be provided, of course." Zim bowed his head graciously. "As you wish, Councilor Membrane. We will await your decision." Zim turned to be escorted out by a pair of guards, Red and Purple sweeping behind to follow.
Hours later, the Council met again with the Irken representatives, and announced that an alliance would be beneficial to both races. Zim's pleasure could not be contained, and he beamed a wide smile as he invited the Council aboard his flagship, the Massive, to hammer out the terms of alliance. The Council agreed, and soon Vootcruisers were sent to transport them to the Irken flagship.
After three long days, and three sleepless nights, the final draft of the Contract of Alliance was finish, then signed by all present. Later that day, Councilor Membrane addressed the earth to inform them of the newly born alliance, and of the coming threat.
Dib snored softly, laying fully dressed on his bed, sheets tangled as if his sleep had been fitful. Pale moonlight bathed his room, casting odd shadows on the wall. Suddenly, the pale light began to grow brighter, until it was as bright as morning. Dib twitched a few times, then opened his eyes and blinked, groggy. "Huh…?" He hardly had time to think when he felt as if something struck him in the chest, and Dib began to rise up from the bed, tangled covers sliding to the floor. ~This is it! I'm being abducted. ~ He thought, finding himself unable to move or speak, as the light carried him up and out into the night. ~So, you've come back for the genius super baby, have you? ~ Dib felt strangely smug at the thought.
A dark shape hovered over the Membrane's house, and Dib could see that he was slowly rising towards it. He couldn't make out any details about the craft – what he assumed to be a craft, at any rate -- because the light enveloping him was too bright. The closer he came to the black outline in the sky, the brighter the light became around him, making him dizzy. Dib squeezed his eyes shut against the pain of the light, which grew until it seemed it would burn right through him. He wanted to cry out, tried to cry out, but everything slowly began to fade to black.
* * *
When consciousness returned, it came slowly. The first sensation Dib became aware of was a hum, deep and low, and all around. He felt it more than heard, a vibration, a tremor, faint but persistent. The next thing Dib noticed was how much his head hurt. Memory flooded back then, and he remembered floating in the cool night air, and a terrible white light enveloping him. ~I've been abducted… ~ He realized at last.
Dib opened his eyes cautiously and blinked a few times. He could see nothing, absolutely nothing. His breath caught in panic and his heart fluttered. ~Oh god, I'm blind. ~ He tried sitting up, and only then realized that he was bound. He lay atop something flat, hard and uncomfortably cool; his arms, torso and legs were strapped down well enough that he was certain he couldn't free himself. His heart began to pound, rational thought failing him as primal, animal fear took over. He struggled suddenly and violently against his bonds, muscles straining. Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
"Hello? Hello!? Can anyone hear me?" He cried out, his voice shaking and pitched high with fear. Dib twisted in his restraints, struggling to break free, even as his mind was telling him it was useless. He couldn't just lay there, helpless.
Just then, some kind of doorway slid open, whisper quiet, a wedge of pale light spilling through from somewhere beyond. A figure moved to the doorway, darkly silhouetted by the light beyond; it was tall, taller than Dib himself, he was certain, and bone thin. Dib froze, eyes locked on the shadowed outline in the doorway, and sweat began trickling down his body. He tried swallowing, his throat suddenly dry, but found he was too paralyzed with fright to do even that.
And then, the dark figure spoke. "So, you're awake. Please don't struggle, I assure you that your restraints are quite secure. I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." It took a few steps closer to Dib.
"W-who are you? What do you want with me?" Dib managed to croak out. In his fright, it hadn't even occurred to him yet that he wasn't blind. "What do I want?" The figure repeated, sounding almost… amused. "The question isn't what –I- want, the question is, what do you want? Think about where you are, fith…er, young human." The voice paused a moment. "I know you, I've watched you for quite some time now. Isn't this the one thing you've always wanted… validation of your beliefs? Hard proof that "we" exist?"
Dib took a few moments to process what the figure was saying. Something about the alien was… familiar. He couldn't place just why, or how, it nagged at the back of his brain. There was something more than amusement in the… things'… voice, it was almost mocking, Dib realized.
"Doesn't this make you happy, Dib?" The figure continued. "Happy?!" Dib said, astonished. "No, this doesn't make me happy! I'd be happy if you'd let me out of these restraints and tell me what's going on!" Dib's fear was slowly subsiding, and he was beginning to think more clearly.
Just then, Dib realized what was so familiar about the figure. ~That voice… That mocking voice… ~ "Zim?!?" Dib cried, astounded. The figure then suddenly bent double, laughing out loud. Dib knew that laugh. "Zim, it is you! Get over here and let me go, damn it!"
The alien continued laughing gleefully. "Pathetic human worm-baby, you haven't changed one bit." The words didn't come across as insulting as they could have, Zim's tone more amused than anything else. Still chortling, the alien stepped back to the door and hit a key, lights sprang on abruptly, illuminating the chamber.
Dib shut his eyes against the sudden brightness, but after a moment he became accustomed. Zim undid Dib's restraints, allowing the human to sit up and get a good look at his surroundings. The chamber they were in looked very much like a hospital room, white and sterile, though not as harsh as he'd imagined. The table that he sat on was the only thing really out of place in the room; it looked more like a metal cafeteria table that had been hastily fitted with leather straps, than a hospital bed. Dib's cheeks flushed; it had all been a kind of prank, Zim had pulled a prank on him. Finally he focused his eyes on Zim, who had stopped laughing and now watched Dib with interest
Dib cleared his throat, hoping his face wasn't as red as it felt. "Okay Zim, no more games. What do you want?" Dib was surprised at how much the Irken had grown since he had last seen him. He was most definitely taller than Dib, in fact he would stand a good head taller than most human men, Dib would guess. But Zim was as skinny as he had ever been, which, combined with his height, made the alien look a bit skeletal.
Zim crossed his arms behind him, taking on a serious air that seemed unusual coming from this particular Irken. "This is no game, Dib. I've brought you here to ask for…" He hesitated only a fraction of a second, but Dib noticed. "For your help, concerning something very important to my people." Zim looked Dib in the eyes.
"Help? Help!?" Dib jumped down from the table and nearly laughed. "Zim, you tried to kill me more times than I can count. Your people sent you to Earth to get rid of you, and you tried to DESTROY it! And now you want me to help you? Forget it! Whatever it is, forget it, Zim."
Zim ground his teeth, fist clenching; Dib expected the Irken to explode into curses and toss him into some kind of cell. Instead, the tall alien took a breath… and calmed visibly. "That is true, Dib. I did try to kill you and conquer your planet." Zim agreed, if a bit grudgingly. "But that was the past. This is different, and I… I need you, Dib." The Irken frowned, clearly finding it hard to ask anything from a lowly human, Dib thought. "You're the only one I can come to."
Dib snorted, crossing his arm over his chest. "Who do you think you're fooling, huh? You've come back here to try and take over earth again, haven't you?" Dib stepped closer to the Irken, glaring up at him. "You're just trying to trick me one more time."
Zim shook his head. "You have no clue how very ignorant you are, Dib. You and all your kind." His voice was quiet, his tone almost gentle. "There is a whole universe out there that you know nothing about. But I do. I've seen it, Dib. I've seen wonderful things, and things that I wish I could erase from my mind. Things that you couldn't begin to imagine.
"Yes, I tried to conquer your planet. I did that for my people, for the Irken Empire, because that it how we survive. That is how we keep balance. We Irkens have a need to control things, Dib. That is why we conquer worlds – we want to control them, to save the wonderful things they contain, and to do away with the horrible things. But we're not murderers, and were not horrible dictators. We take care of the races that we conquer, we give them jobs, we keep them fed, and we protect their families.
"What I'm trying to say is that my people believe this is our purpose, this is our cause. And, how is this any different that what your leaders did on Earth? They united the different peoples, for the good of all. This is what the Irken do."
Dib frowned. "But the peoples of earth agreed to the union – they weren't forced into it by some invading army. The Irken don't give anyone a chance."
"This isn't important, Dib! Look, when I said there were things that you don't know about… the Irken Army is at war, Dib. An alien race called the Kann have begun an invasion of Irken space..."
"Aww, does the mighty Irken Empire have a little competition?" Dib mocked. "You don't understand!" Zim cried, nearly taking Dib by the collar of his shirt. "They're not doing this for the good of anyone but themselves! They're taking slaves, Dib, pillaging whole planets, destroying what they don't find "useful". And they're heading this way. Soon they'll attack Irk, my home. And I don't know if my people can withstand them. After that, they'll eventually make their way here, Dib, to Earth." Zim gave Dib a chance to let the news sink in.
"The Irken Army isn't strong enough to strand against the Kann. But, I think if you could help me to convince your father and the other councilors to help, then maybe, just maybe, we all have a chance."
Dib looked at his feet, solemn. He was quiet for a long time. When he finally spoke his voice was barely more than a whisper. "Why would my father listen to you, Zim, or me, for that matter? He thinks I'm crazy and you…" Dib trailed off.
Zim took a breath and looked Dib in the eyes. "There is something else you need to know, Dib." Zim drew the human close, breathing a whisper into his ear. Dib's mouth hung open.
* * *
It was still early when Dib dragged his sister out of bed, the sun still well away from rising. Gaz rubbed her eyes, glowering. "Dib, its Saturday. Leave me alone." She rolled over, pulling a sheet over her head. Dib shook her again. "Gaz this is important, I need you to take me to see Dad." Gaz pulled the sheets down just enough to peer over the edge through heavy-lidded eyes. "You want to see Da… aaaa… " She broke off into a jaw- cracking yawn. "Dad? You'll never get in. Even family has to make an appointment months in advance to get an audience with the Council. You know that."
"This is –important- Gaz." The girl just flopped back, burrowing into her mattress. "Whatever it is, it can wait a few hours. I'm tired." A voice then rang out from the open doorway. "Oh, I'm afraid it can't wait." Gaz sat bolt upright in bed, staring wide-eyed at the figure in the doorway. "It can't be…"
Minutes later Gaz was dressed and seated in the driver's side of the hovercar, Dib next to her, and three hooded figures riding in the back. "I can't believe I'm doing this for –you- Zim, of all people." One of the figures in the back leaned forward, impatient. "Drive faster." Gaz sighed, and accelerated.
Dib marched into the Council Hall, black coat streaming behind him, flanked on one side by Gaz and leading three tall, cloaked and hooded figures behind. The entourage strode purposefully past the front desk, paying no heed to the mousy clerk that tried to stop them.
"Excuse me… H-hey! Wait… w-wait! Do you have a security p-pass? Y- you're not p-permitted in there without clearance! Security! S-security!!" Moments later three armed and armored men stepped out to block Dib's path, raising their firearms. "Halt, that's far enough." Dib slowed, eyeing the men cautiously. "My name is Dib Membrane, Councilor Membrane is my father. It's urgent that I speak with him."
"I'm sorry son, no one gets by without a pass. You and your friends will have to come with us." Just then, the doors to the inner chamber opened, and the ten members of the Council stepped out, their heads bent close in conversation. One by one they fell silent as they noticed the standoff between Dib and the guards. "Dad. Dad!" Dib called out.
"Dib? What's going on?" Councilor Membrane stepped forward. "Captain, explain this? Why are you detaining my children?" The middle guard turned towards the Council, tossing a salute. "I'm sorry sir, they just marched in without any clearance. I didn't know…" Membrane raised a hand to silence the man. "No matter. Dib, I think you have some explaining to do." Dib opened his mouth to speak, but before a word escaped his lips, one of the hooded figures stepped forward.
"I believe I can explain better, Councilor Membrane." All eyes went to the tall, cloaked person, the guards tightening their grips on their weapons. "And you are?" Councilor Membrane asked.
The cloaked figure lowered his hood, revealing his green skin, delicate antennae and large red eyes. "I am Zim. The Almighty Tallest of the Irken Empire. We have to talk."
* * *
Dib and Gaz were sent to the lounge, waiting while the Terran Council met with the representatives from Irk. Dib was more than a little put out at having been kept from the negotiations, but there was little he could do. Gaz on the other hand seemed rather un-fazed by it all, lying on a couch snoring loudly. Dib sat on the arm of another couch, kicking his feet in boredom, wondering just what was going on behind the closed doors of the Council Hall…
Prof. Membrane, along with the other nine members of the Council, sat in a semi-circle at one end of the meeting Hall, seated in heavy wooden chairs. Zim stood before the Council, his aides, Red and Purple, seated behind him, their hoods hanging down. Zim's own cloak lay sprawled across his otherwise empty chair. The Almighty Tallest dressed a bit differently than had Red and Purple in their day; rather than an armored chestplate and ankle-length kilt, he wore lose trousers and a tunic, both lightly embroidered, with a smooth cape tossed back over his shoulders. During his time on earth, Zim had had the opportunity to study human history and had been intrigued by certain clothing styles, which he since introduced into Irken society.
Many aspects of human society had begun to interest Zim in the years after his departure from the world. He had spent a long time reviewing the history of his own world, and had begun to see that where it was weak, humans strangely enough were strong. Most of all, he admired their individuality, their need to control their own lives, their own destinies, their passion for freedom and equality. It was these qualities that convinced him that humans could help him defeat the Kann, that with their aid he could win this war.
"… And now the Kann are moving further into Irken territories, consuming every resource of value to them, enslaving thousands of sentient beings to do their most lowly of tasks. If we do not strike at them soon, they will eventually push their way to our homeworld, Irk, and then all will be lost for us. It will not be long after that before they work their way to earth. Perhaps a year. Perhaps sooner. Your technologies are too limited to stand against the Kann, you will be taken without effort." Zim folded his hands in front of him, falling silent to let his dire news sink in.
Many of the Council looked uncomfortable, exchanging glances with each other, shifting in their seats; Councilor White, once known as Agent Darkbooty, sat on the edge of his chair, watching the Tallest with interest. Councilor Membrane was the only member who didn't look at Zim, rather seeming to look inward, thoughtful. There was a long silence; Red and Purple exchanged a doubtful look behind Zim.
One of the Councilors finally cleared his throat. "And what, precisely, do you want from us?" Then he added a hesitant, "Tallest Zim." Zim spread his hands. "I propose an alliance between our two peoples. We can provide you with the technologies not only to defend yourselves from the Kann, but also to vastly improve your society. And you can provide for us your spirit, your passion for your freedom, your desire to control your own lives, your willingness to fight and die for these ideals you hold so dear."
"In essence," Another Councilor spoke up. "We give you soldiers to fight your war, and you give us… what? Ships? Weapons?" Zim shook his head, looking almost amused. "Yes, ships and weapons, and so much more. One of my aides will provide you with some schematics that should give you as taste of what we can do…" He made a motion with one hand, and Red rose to begin passing out data-pads to the Council members. Every now and then he'd lean close and murmur with special pride, "See, lasers." Red glanced back to grin widely at Purple, who folded his arms and pouted silently.
Membrane poured over the information for a long moment, then rose. "We must convene to discuss your proposal, Tallest Zim. If you and your aides would be so kind as to wait in the lounge… Whatever you need will be provided, of course." Zim bowed his head graciously. "As you wish, Councilor Membrane. We will await your decision." Zim turned to be escorted out by a pair of guards, Red and Purple sweeping behind to follow.
Hours later, the Council met again with the Irken representatives, and announced that an alliance would be beneficial to both races. Zim's pleasure could not be contained, and he beamed a wide smile as he invited the Council aboard his flagship, the Massive, to hammer out the terms of alliance. The Council agreed, and soon Vootcruisers were sent to transport them to the Irken flagship.
After three long days, and three sleepless nights, the final draft of the Contract of Alliance was finish, then signed by all present. Later that day, Councilor Membrane addressed the earth to inform them of the newly born alliance, and of the coming threat.
