WOW THINGS ARE HEATING UP! This is the longest chapter yet, but a lot
happens. After this one, the chapters begin to take place on Irk. Yes, it's
been a tiring journey, but we've finally arrived. Enjoy and stay tune for
more updates!
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Red walked through the hall, hands clasped behind his back and bodyguards all around him. He mainly watched the floor as he walked, not daring to look at the prisoners around him. This was the one place where he was not feared. The Prisoners of War ward.
In this facility were the few who had dare defy the Empire and live to tell about it. Their lives were not glamorous, but they were alive. Which was more than you could say for most. Even though they were behind bars, Red could not bring himself to look at them. He knew what he would see if he did look there; he would see utter contempt, hatred. A black rage that burned in the back of their eyes, so delicately poised on the edge of insanity. Them, all of them here wanted both him and Purple dead. He knew that perfectly well. What he could not understand was how Purple or the countless other officials delt with them so effortlessly. Purple himself seemed to meet the hatred head on, with such confidence, that more than a few times Red had seen tough, decorated POW's crumble under his gaze. And Purple was who he would attempt to mimic today.
Usually Purple dealt with POW's when it was necessary. But he was not feeling well (Red figured he had a massive hang-over) and would not be up to the strain of POW negotiation. He had asked Red to go instead. When Red was hesitant, he had said, "Just look them strait in the eye, and be blunt. Don't let your gaze falter. It's a sign of weakness if you do. And they can smell fear, so don't show that either." Red was finding that more and more difficult.
They reached the end of the cellblock, and entered a good-sized room with a divider down the middle. This was the interrogation room. Usually, when prisoners were infiltrated, the negotiator was in the same room, and the prisoner handcuffed to a chair. But when it was necessary for a Tallest to interrogate, the Irkin secret service took no chances. They set up a force field between the rooms, in addition to the prisoner being cuffed. Usually, the prisoner was uncuffed during talks, unless instructed otherwise. This was one of those times.
Red walked up to the viewing window, a slit in the divider, to see into the other room. It was almost completely dark, the only light coming from the slit he was gazing through. He saw a dark, hunched figure in the center of the room. The only movement it made was to see what had obstructed the light coming into the room. The light reflected off its large eyes for a moment, and then was gone. Red turned uneasily away from the window.
He stood about five feet away from where the divider would be raised. He once again, clasped his hands behind his back, and drove the fear to the back of his mind. He sighed, and closed his eyes briefly. When they opened he wore an expression of determination.
"Open it."
One of the guards pressed a button next to the divider, and it slide upward into the ceiling. They heard the force field hum to life under it, and a moment later the lights fluttered up in the room. Red kept his eyes fastened on the prisoner.
Kain sat, cuffed and hunched in the newly lit room. His eyes remained shut. A deep cut over his right brow was just healing over, dried blood still around it. It should have been cared for, but Red guessed he had refused any medical treatment. His exoskeleton resembled armor in the harsh white light. It covered every inch of his body except the laceration above his eye. Each one of his multiple arms were secured in back of him, and his two ankles to the legs of the chair. Well, because Reaptarians walked on their toes like dogs, the chains were technically secured right below his ankles. Either way, every one of his twelve limbs were secure. This made Red feel a little better, but not by much. Even shackled, Kain looked intimidating, like a vicious, rabid beast in a cage. Red almost jumped when his two large insect eyes opened to deadly slits.
"The infamous Red," said Kain, his voice thick with sarcasm and contempt.
"Kain."
"Why have you brought me here?" he said, cocking an armor-plated eyebrow. "To further my humiliation?"
Red, with some effort, kept his composure. "You're here to talk."
Kain raised one side of his lip in a sort of mute growl, and huffed some air contemptuously through his nose. "What do we possibly have to discus? You've enslaved my people. End of story. Not one I particularly like but I can't change history." He narrowed his eyes further. "Nor can you."
Red gulped, and hoped it wasn't visible from where Kain was sitting. Kain obviously knew the shock their attack had on the empire. It had damaged the economy somewhat, but he didn't think Kain knew that. Kain, he presumed, was playing the odds. He probably knew the social damage an attack would cause – hell, he probably planned on it. It must have been a goal to cause civil unrest just a decade after the last revolution.
"The damage on Food Courtia is considerable. As a sort of punishment, your people will be charged with repairs. If it is not done adequately, they will suffer. You will suffer too, but differently. Because of current POW laws, we are not allowed to torture you. But you WILL be present at any executions of your men." Red smirked bitterly. "You're lucky. Most Irkins would kill for a floor seat to that."
Kain brought his shoulders up and back like an angered animal, and growled deep in his throat. He flashed his many fanged teeth. Red began to detect the black rage he so feared. Kain's eyes were still angry slits, but he could sense it. Yes, it was there. As strong as any sensation he had felt. And Kain definitely possessed the potential to kill. But despite that Red was feeling easier. He had gotten a reaction from Kain by mentioning the death of his men. He was slightly more confident.
"Now, as for other matters, we have an offer." Red took a cautious step closer. "If you talk, and tell us what we want to know, we will not execute your men."
Kain spit across the room. "You lie! Irkin scum always lies! I know for a fact that even if I do talk you will just dispose of my men quicker. They would serve no further purpose. I bet you have most of Food Courtia cleaned up by now, anyway. Your death-squads are great at cleaning up messes. No deal, Ty`Blancha, no deal."
Kain's sudden outburst caught Red by surprise, and he had jumped a step back. Despite the force field Kain's voice was still powerful and clear. It sounded as if they were in the same room, with nothing to divide them. Red knew that the Force field didn't filter sound, but it still unnerved him at the closeness of the voice. So full of rage. So full of black, obscene hatred. It made Red want to cover his ears and leave the room. But he didn't, and he looked back up at the prisoner.
What Red didn't notice was the pin in one of Kain's hands. The sudden outburst had been deliberate, to cover up and motion of his lower hand tossing it up to a top one. Red also failed to notice that the chains around Kain's ankles slide a few inches closer to the ground.
Red narrowed his brow. "Well if you won't accept our offer, you'll have to tell up without any compensation. What I want to ask is: Are there any more spies? How did you attain them? And are there any more attacks planned? By any of the conquered territories? If so, tell me."
Kain shrugged contemptuously, when actually he was jamming the pin into the cuff lock. "How would I know? I don't hold conferences with other refugees. But if you want my opinion, there are no more attacks – unfortunately – because there are no more weapons. The ships and weapons we used were from a hidden stockpile that had yet to be raided by your armada. We were most recently conquered, so not all of our supplies had been pillaged yet," He put emphasis on the word 'pillaged'. "So put your mind at ease, Ty`Blancha, I doubt any of your captures have the resources to pull another one like that." Red had failed to notice, thankfully, that Kain had avoided the questions concerning spies.
Red narrowed his gaze. "Why are you telling me all this so quickly? It's as if you're hiding something. What you just told me sounds to well rehearsed" Kain shook his head firmly. "I just don't want more useless casualties."
The lock opened. The first pair of cuffs released, and Kain grabbed them in one of his hands. If it fell to the floor, he would be found out. His left hand gripped the wrist of the right, which held the cuffs. From the front it still appeared as if he was shackled. He carefully dropped the pin to his next waiting hand.
Red picked up a chart, which had been placed on the small table next to him just a short while earlier. He flipped through it; it was the report of Kain's containment so far. An item caught his eye and he peered over the edge of the clipboard at Kain. "You tried to commit suicide."
The second pair off cuffs unlocked.
"So? If I want to die at my own hand that's my decision."
Red was genuinely curious. "Why?"
"Why? Why what? Why is it my decision or why did I attempt it?"
Red cocked an eyebrow. "The later, of course."
Kain seemed to look down and to the side for a second, as if contemplating the question. In actuality, he was having trouble with the third lock.
"If I'm dead then my people will have no reason to listen to you, you blackmailing, son of a bitch, Ty`Blancha. If I'm dead than there will be no need to conform." The third popped open, and Kain smiled darkly. "Then there WILL be an uprising. Reaptarians without a leader can be extremely unruly. Like a swarm of bees with no queen," He had already begun on the fourth cuff. "And you're the smart-ass kid who hit the hive with a stick. I'd hate to be in your position right now." Red wasn't aware Kain ment that very moment.
Red's expression remained unchanged. "You can't rule the universe without making a few enemies."
Kain chuckled in a way Red didn't like. "I suppose your right."
Red took a few steps closer. He was only about two feet from the force field, about six feet from Kain. He looked Kain directly in the eye, just as Purple had instructed. Little did he know that that was exactly what Kain wanted.
"Do you think your little act of defiance had that much effect?" asked Red. "Sure it surprised us, but overall nothing has changed. The only thing you've managed to do is get yourself in prison."
The small, dark smile faded from Kain's lips. "And beat up one of your territories pretty badly. I saw the damage done, you can't deny that. Your death squad may be good, Ty`Blancha, but they can't rebuild an entire planet in time to stop considerable losses. Food Courtia was your biggest supplier of food and supplies. Sure, you and your co-ruler will eat well, but what about the people?" Pop, there went number four. One more to go. "Sooner or later the food shortage will become evident, and people will start to ask questions…" he let it trail off, purposely leaving Red wanting more. Kain didn't want him going anywhere.
"Questions? And since when have you been a master of Irkin sociology?"
Kain narrowed his eyes. "Its common sense, and a little bit of experience. There was a brief famine a few years ago on our planet, and the same thing happened. Not in the capacity it will happen here, tough. I feel you will get it much worse." He leaned back in the chair cockily. "You don't spend half your life ruling an entire race without learning a thing or two about sociology. Don't you agree?"
Red crossed his arms. "No I don't. I think we have the food/supply issue pretty well taken care of. In fact, I think there will be very little question about the attack. A lot of people knew it would happen sooner or later. And a lot of them are grateful it happened on such a small scale. There were some casualties, yes, but not nearly as many as there could have been."
Pop! The last pair of cuffs unlocked. Kain's arms were now completely unshackled. (Here comes the tricky part,) thought Kain to himself. He would have to wait for the right moment; he needed Red to temporarily turn away so he could free his feet. He had limped into the negotiating room, faking an injury from the battle. The guards, thinking he was half immobile anyway, hadn't secured the shackles on his ankles very tightly. There was just enough room, in fact, for Kain to slip his feet out of the chains altogether. That's what he had been doing before Red came in. Judging the slack in the chains and mentally preparing for what he would soon do.
"Sir!" cried a soldier from the back of the room, saluting as he did so. Kain's heart leapt at the sound, but Red did not turn away. "What is it, Lieutenant?"
"Incoming transmission from Tallest Purple! Do you wish it on the viewing screen?"
Red still did not turn away. "No. Tell him I'm in the middle of something."
The guard was momentarily lost for words. "But Sir, he… he might become angry with me."
This time Red did turn, and Kain made his move. "Well if he gets on your case, I'll back you up. Now you've got the support of a Tallest on your side."
The soldier seemed to brighten at the thought of a Tallest fighting for him. "Yes Sir!"
While Red was talking, Kain had hastily removed his feet from their bonds. He pressed them hard up against the chair legs, and pulled them free of the chains. For a moment he feared the movement was to fast, and that Red would notice from the corner of his eye, but he didn't. He turned back to Kain not knowing.
"Is there anything else you want to say before you are escorted back to your cell?"
Kain looked right at Red, their eyes locking. "Just one."
He dropped all five pairs of cuffs to the floor.
"Sir-" said a soldier, but it was too late. Kain lunged from his chair at Red, all arms forward and armed with sharp exoskeleton fingers. Red was catatonic with shock, and couldn't move. As Kain hit the force field, bursts of electricity were suddenly visible, it was only after the initial impact that it became evident – Kain had broken THROUGH the force field!
Kain's top set of arms had penetrated the force field, and he immediately gripped Red by the neck. Red brought his own hands up to release himself from Kain's grip, but it was no use. Reaptarians were notoriously strong, and Kain was their leader. Kain's arms shuddered and bled from the electric current currently being passed through them, but he managed to keep his grip. Interrupted electrical currents shot out like a tiny lightening blots from around Kain's arms where they were penetrating. Through them, Red could clearly see Kain, and clearly see the Black rage billowing from his eyes. He felt Kain's razor-like thumbs push into either side of his windpipe. After a few brief sputters, he could no longer breathe.
The guards were panicked. Most ran outside, to get into Kain's side of the room, but because the force field was being tampered with, the computer did not allow it to open.
"I'm gonna have to manually override it!"
"WELL HURRY!"
Two guards ran to Red and tried in vain to pry him out of Kain's vice-like grip. Red's vision began to go black. He stared at Kain from under half- laded eyes. He was almost gone.
Kain snarled in hatred and pain. He thought, thought for a good moment that Red was going to die, when he heard the door to his side of the room open from the manual override. He stole one last glance at the nearly unconscious Tallest. "Ki Pu-chu mih Kali, Ty`Blancha!" He said defiantly, before being shot with a blaster. His grip released Red, who fell limply to the floor. Kain staggered for a moment, the huge jolt of electric charge from the blaster nearly knocking him unconscious, until a second was shot and he did. He hit the ground with an indifferent THUD and then everything went black.
The two guards that had been trying to help Red hunched over him. One pressed a finger to his neck, and to his relief, found a pulse. But it was very, very weak.
The other sat up strait and hit the communication device on his wrist. "We need a medical team down here NOW!"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Red awoke in the medical cruiser a few minutes later. His eyelids, still heavy, fluttered open. As his vision cleared, he could see the ceiling of the cruiser. There were various monitors around him. His breath, although coming in, hurt and came in a raspy gasps. He tried to swallow but couldn't, and he began to cough.
That was when the medical team first noticed he was awake. One of them bent over him and spoke. "Just take it easy, my Tallest, we're almost to the infirmary."
Red put a hand on his brow, in slight confusion. He tried so speak, but nothing came out. He tried again, and his voice came out hushed and scratchy. "What… what happened? I can't seem to remember right now."
The paramedic checked the monitors as he talked. "You will shortly. What's the last thing you remember?"
It hurt to talk, but Red did. "I remember… a sound. Like… pieces of metal hitting the ground. After that nothing."
One of the guards, who was riding next to him, said, "That was probably the sound of Kain dropping the handcuffs. Right after that he attacked you, damn near killed you. Luckily, the computer overrode and we were able to neutralize him." The guard leaned closer. "You're lucky to be alive, Sir."
Red tried to nod, put a shot of pain bolted through his neck. He carefully brought a hand to his neck, and winced when to touched it. His fingers came back with blood on them. "Blood? Was an artery severed?"
"No," stated the paramedic. "Kain's fingers cut your neck, but they missed any major arteries or veins. He was really just applying pressure, trying to strangle you. …He almost seceded."
Red closed his eyes. He felt the cruiser slow down as they reached the infirmary.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
He was wheeled into the emergency room. He was hooked up to more monitors, but was told he was in no immediate danger. He was also told that Purple would be there shortly. His neck ached, and was constantly prodded by a doctor. He was short, and needed to stand on a stool in order to examine Red.
"You're very lucky," he said, turning Red's head gently from side to side so he could examine the wounds. "A few Gali-meters to either side would have opened major blood-ways. How's your breathing?"
Red inhaled, but almost coughed on the exhale. He shakily released the breath. "Ok, I guess." The doctor narrowed his brow in concern.
"At-ten-SION!" Heard Red outside the door. The stomping of feet as they snapped to attention immediately followed it. It could only be one person.
Purple half-heartedly saluted as he entered. His eyes found Red, and he hissed air through his teeth. He sighed. "Your first negotiation."
Red groaned. Purple sighed again.
"Well, let's have a look at you." Purple walked over to Red, where the doctor had stepped down and was having some trouble moving his stool over. Purple, nonchalantly, picked the stool up in one hand and moved it over. The doctor muttered an embarrassed Thank You and stepped to the side.
Purple lightly touched Red's neck, positioning his fingers just under where his ears would be. He placed his thumbs just under Red's chin, guiding his head as it turned. Red watched Purple's expression change as he examined the wound.
"Is there any internal bleeding?" Purple asked the doctor without turning away from Red.
"No. The main goal of the attack was… strangulation. Though the cuts did come dangerously close."
"I see," said Purple, tilting Red's head up to see under his jaw. "The cuts are on either side of the esophagus. He was putting pressure on the windpipe. They stretch from where the jaw meets the neck to about the collarbone. Tell me Lieutenant," said Purple. The Lieutenant snapped to attention. "Sir."
"How was it possible for Kain to BREAK LOOSE of his bonds and then PENETRATE the force field?" Purple kept his hands on Red but turned his head over his shoulder to face the Lieutenant.
"He… um…" the soldier stuttered for a moment. "He… somehow brought an object – a pin in this case – and manipulated the handcuff locks. After that, he slipped his feet out of the-"
"Yes, tell me, how did he manage that?" Purple's voice was gaining an edge to it. The Lieutenant noticed.
"Well… when we were securing him, he was limping. Because he was hardly mobile… and injured… we figured shackles any tighter would hurt him. He-"
"HURT him?" Purple cut off the soldier again. The tone of his voice was becoming ever more agitated. "HURT him? Now which is a bigger priority: Keeping a Tallest safe, or the comfort of a prisoner? And now, because of some careless judgment, a Tallest was almost killed." Purple wiped around to face the Lieutenant, who was shaking visibly. "How do you feel about that?"
The soldier opened and closed his mouth several times, but nothing came out. Purple was on him in a flash, towering over the shaking soldier. The Lieutenant was reasonably tall, but he stood a good foot shorter than Purple. Purple leaned over him with an angry glare. "You may want to seriously reconsider your position," said Purple in a close, conspirators whisper. His hands flexed tightly, and the soldier could hear the skin strain under the force. "Now get out before I do something I regret."
The Lieutenant almost ran to the door. The doctor, and several other guards in the room, went silent. Purple took a deep breath, then waved a hand in the air. "Please excuse us. I must brief Red on something."
The others in the room got out as fast as they could. Purple whipped a hand over his face and walked back over to Red. "What am I going to do with you?"
Red was a little caught off guard by the statement, but Purple didn't wait for an answer. He held Red's face again, this time for a closer inspection that would have raised eyebrows if the others were in the room. He sighed as he did so.
"So what did you learn? What did he say?" said Purple. Red shrugged, but found that it hurt when the tissue on his neck moved. He scratched the back of his head. "He said he doesn't know if there will be anymore attacks, but he personally doubts it. He says none of the territories have the resources necessary to pull off one like that. He also mentioned a food shortage. I guess they were banking on the idea that an attack on a supply planet would hurt the Economy. To bad they were right." Purple sighed.
"He knows to much. They must have researched this before attacking." Purple leaned close to the wound on Red's neck. At first Red thought he was going to kiss him, but instead he sniffed several times. He pulled back and continued the inspection.
"What was that?" asked Red.
"I was checking for rot. I know it happened just moments ago, but you can never be to careful." He finished the inspection and placed his hands on Red's shoulders. "Anything else I should know?" he asked, looking Red in the eyes. "Not really… except he said some things I couldn't quiet understand."
"Why not?"
"There were in Reaptarian."
"Ah."
Red was fluent in scores of languages, but unfortunately, Reaptarian was not one of them. Purple, fortunately, was.
"What did he say?"
"He kept calling me something… a… Tie… Blancha… something."
"A Ty`Blancha?"
"Yea that's it. What does it mean?"
"There's no exact translation, but it means something like 'Tyrant Politician'." He smirked. "Makes sense."
Red rolled his eyes. "And he said something else… Ki Pu-chu mih Kali… then he said Ty`Blancha again."
Purple wasn't so amused by this. "It means: 'The end of your days rapidly approaches.' Nice, huh?"
Red sighed deeply. "I failed. I went in, hoping to get some information, but instead got attacked. Again, I'm thinking I'm not worthy to be-"
He was hushed by Purple putting a finger over his lips. "Shhhhhhh… enough of that. You're just upset."
Purple touched Red's face, and kissed him on the forehead. He pressed their foreheads together. "When I heard something had happened to you," said Purple softly. "I almost had a heart attack. I couldn't imagine going on without you there."
Red pulled him closer and buried his face in his neck. Purple leaned his head on Red's. "Don't do that to me again." They held each other for a moment before calling the others back in.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"…And now I'm here." Finished Zim. Spluge's jaw hung slack, his eyes wide. Zim felt himself blush slightly, realizing just how shocking his story was. Spluge said nothing for a long time, just staring at Zim. Zim was about to say something when he finally did. "My god…" he said softly, shaking his head. "And now your back."
They were aboard the ship. Dib and Gaz sat in the room; Gaz sat backward on a chair and dib sat uncomfortably on his. They were in a small, eating hall on the ship. So small, in fact, that there was only room for three chairs. Zim leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. They all regarded Spluge, waiting for some other for of response. Zim had gone over all the basics: The fake mission, the explosion, the painful merging with human growth hormones, the seven years on Earth, and finally the message, and making of the ship in an Earth laboratory. He had divulged into it all, staring down at his crossed arms. When he occasionally looked up, he would see Spluge fascinated, hanging on his every word.
And now he just waited for any response.
"So…" Zim started. "I guess I've told you all this because… I want you to join us." Dib and Gaz looked at each other. "You've been a great friend and… frankly, we need all the support we can get. So, are you with us? Will you help us in our fight?"
Gaz and Dib had no previous knowledge that Zim would make such an offer. Both twisted in their seats.
"Well…" began Spluge, turning his gaze to the ground. "The odds are stacked pretty heavily against you. I mean, two Irkins and two… what are they again?"
"Humans." Said Dib, irritably.
"Yea. Like I said, our chances of… even keeping our lives… are just not that good. I mean… joining you would be like a death wish."
Zim looked down in defeat. It WAS too much to ask Spluge to join them, he knew it. Wishful thinking, he thought. He was just about to tell Spluge not to worry, and that he wasn't mad, when he was clapped on the shoulder.
"But I'll join you, and help take revenge for what they've done."
Zim's heart swelled. He was filled with joy at the thought of his old friend joining them. He smiled and shook Spluge's hand. "Then welcome aboard."
Gaz and Dib exchanged concerned glances.
"Zim," said Gaz. "Could we talk to you for a moment?"
"Well not right-"
"Now!" they said in unison. Despite their differences, Gaz and Dib could occasionally share a sort of sibling connection. A psychic bond Zim never experienced, having no known relatives. He excused himself and left the room with Dib and Gaz.
"What do you think you're doing?!" asked Dib, putting his hands on his hips.
"What! We need all the help we can-"
"But c'mon, Zim!" said Gaz. "We don't know this guy, and why weren't we informed of your little offer? This guy could be a spy for all we know!"
He had never seen Gaz this upset with him. Back on Earth, she was mad all the time, but it had never been with him. In fact, they had just started hanging out recently.
"Zim," said Dib a bit more calmly, taking off his glasses. "Do you understand our point?"
He looked at them. They had the same eyes. Underneath Dib's glasses, it was hard to tell, but now he could see the resemblance more than ever. He thought about telling them that, knowing they would deny it. He sighed and looked at them. "I understand, and I'm sorry for not consulting you. But this guy CAN BE trusted. Please believe me, I need your confidence on this."
They looked at each other, their eyes sharing that bond Zim would never understand. Finally, they looked back at him. "OK," said Gaz. "But please don't make us regret this."
"Deal. And besides, Spluge is a prodigy of a cook, always has been. I say we'll be eating a lot better now that he's on board."
"Thank God!" said Dib, replacing his glasses. "I don't know about you, but freeze-dried bologna looses its luster after about five minutes."
For the first time in a long time, Zim laughed.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Aboard the starship Gargantuan, Elize sat. The treason, which had recently occurred aboard the ship, had been one of her men, and she cursed herself everyday for the folly. She knew that if her uncle had not been Tallest, she would have suffered much more severe consequences. She had given him access to all sorts of intelligence information, without a second though. The mere THOUGHT of a spy in the Irkin fleet was just too remarkable; she never thought to consider it. Of course, her punishment had been minimal. She was warned and suspended from document access for an undecided amount of time. But she had checked, and her password had yet to be restricted. They were afraid, she knew.
Her uncle in collaboration with Red ruled the Empire with an iron fist. She knew it, they knew it, and the public knew it, but everyone was so happy with all the victories that it was ignored. The Irkin Media broadcasted stories about the battles, and harrowing tales of bravery. But they discarded stories about the falling economy and school conditions. Military academies were in top shape, but public schools and universities were working on a slashed budget.
She messaged her temples. Despite all that was wrong with the Empire, she had to admit there were a lot of strong points. Money, military power, and Universal morale was at an all-time high. Everyone was glad to be 'On the winning team'. And as for the Tallest – she had met them both, and they seemed like decent people. Red seemed nice and her uncle was, well, family. And you really couldn't think too badly about your family.
She heard the door to her quarters open and she turned towards the sound. In stepped one of her men, decked out in full combat gear. He saluted and stood at attention before speaking.
"Ma'am!" he shouted. "It's time for the war games. I've been asked to escort you to the arena, Sir! …Eh… Ma'am!"
Elize laughed. " 'Sir' is fine. Wait outside; I'll be there in a minute." He left, and she got up.
On the way to her room she passed up a photo of her mother and Purple. It was taken during a financial convention a year ago, when the senate and financial leaders gathered to discuss budgets and policies. In the picture, Purple had his arms crossed, as if contemplating. Pez stood in front of him, talking with her hands, presumably about some financial issue. The picture was well known throughout the Empire, but only Elize had the original copy. She passed it and went into her room.
She changed into her combat uniform. Stripping of everything but her underwear and bra, she pulled on her armor: Heavy-duty pants, complete with hidden weapon compartments; a blaster-proof chest plate with a red stripe signifying her as the squad leader; combat boots and a helmet, also baring a red stripe. She set her helmet on the bed while she pulled on her gloves. She tucked the ends under her sleeves, and put on her wrist armor. Instead of black, hers were silver. She adjusted herself in the mirror, briefly noticing her dress for the banquet in the background (how different she would look compared to now) and slipped on the helmet. Loading her uniform with weapons (a knife, a small pistol, a tazer) she shouldered her attack rifle and left the room. Out in the hall, she put down the helmet's visor and motioned to the private standing by her door. "Let's go."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
She entered the hanger, where her men mulled around, waiting.
"Soldiers!" she shouted in the large hanger. Her voice rang through the acoustically inferior room. The men snapped to attention. "SIR!" they said in unison. Their collective voices were even louder than hers. She walked to the front of them and waved a hand in the air. "At ease. Private Morr tells me that we have a briefing today. I expect you all to be shining examples of discipline and military excellence. Can you do that?"
"SIR, YES SIR!" they responded in unison. She nodded and took her place at the front of the squad.
The doors to their left opened, and in stepped an aid. He stood in front of the doors and announced: "Presenting, the ruler of the Irkin Empire, General Royal and Commander of the star ship 'Gargantuan', Tallest Purple!"
Elize had not expected Purple himself to do the briefing. She then realized, with some amusement, that none of her men knew she was his niece. She stifled a smile. "Atten-TION!" she shouted, and the squad did so.
Purple walked in, hands clasped behind his back. He wore his Commanders uniform, which resembled one of his usual robes except it was semi-armor and bared the Irkin insignia. It went down to his ankles, flowing regally. He stood dead center in front of the squad and began.
"You have been assembled here today to participate in the annual War games. Unfortunately, the war games purpose has been made all to evident by the recent attack on Food Courtia." He paused, rather well, for dramatic effect. He began to pace back and forth in front of the soldiers. "This should increase your determination. While the games are not for real, you should always keep in mind that you ARE training for real battle. And remember, as you participate, the lives of your fellow soldiers that were lost during the battle."
"SIR, YES SIR!" the entire squad, Elize included, shouted. Purple stood for a moment, looking over the men. His eyes finally settled on Elize, and he smiled almost imperceptibly. He walked over to her. "Remove your helmet, soldier."
She did so, and held it under her right arm. "Identify yourself."
"Sir! Lieutenant first class Elize! Ground troop and Air gunner capable, Sir!" she said.
Purple smiled visibly now. He nodded his head. "You have led your squad well, Lieutenant. This is one of the most decorated bunch of men I have seen in my career of ruling. You, yourself, are highly decorated. The Empire commends you for your hard work."
Elize smiled. "Sir! Thank you, Sir!"
"Now, I have a few issues I wish to discus with you," he held out his hand, and a clipboard was placed into it by the aid. He curled in into his arm and placed the pen point onto it, ready to write. "I take it you are attending the banquet next cycle?"
"Sir, yes, Sir."
"The most respected leaders in the Empire will be there. How may I ask, were you invited?"
"I believe you did, Sir."
Purple nodded. "Very good, so I did. Now, for other matters-"
He shifted his weight onto one leg, and tapped the pen on his chin. In a very conversational tone he said: "Which would you prefer: Recorded or live music?"
"Uh…." She assumed the same casual stance and scratched her head. "Live."
"Uh-huh," he said and wrote it down. "And diner – served before, during, or after the address speech?"
"During would very classy." She said. He wrote it down.
"And finally – Soup or salad?"
She considered only a moment. "Both." Purple rolled his eyes. "I'll put you down for 'soup'." He finished writing and handed the board back to the aid. "Gotta ask people's opinions on these things. Remember last time?"
She nodded. "Oh yea. Senator Bort was never the same." Senator Bort had been allergic to the soup last year. He broke out in hives and had to be escorted home. Purple nodded in remembrance.
"Yes, yes. That wasn't all too pleasant was it? Well, I guess I'll see you there. I'll be watching you from the viewing deck now, so make me proud."
"Yes, Sir!"
Purple shook his head. " 'Sir' is so formal. Why don't call me what you normally do?"
"Sure thing – Uncle." Elize couldn't see them, but she knew that behind her the squad was shocked. Purple must have realized, because he smiled when he looked over her shoulder at them.
"Now go out there and show these privates why our bloodline is the strongest in the Galaxy." He, breaching tradition, saluted HER first. She raised her hand to her brow and held it there. "Sure thing – Uncy Pur." He laughed as they brought down their hands. "Oh, I'll get you for that."
"Sure you will." She said, and winked at him. He chuckled as he left the hanger.
After Purple and the aid had left, she turned to face her squad. Each face reflected utter amazement. "Well you heard the man," she said, pulling the helmet back on her head. "Let's show him what we're made of."
She flicked down the visor as the hanger doors opened.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Zim sat in the cockpit of the ship they had lovingly named: "The Vooter", after Zim's fallen cruiser. He steered half-heartedly, his reflexes already used to the controls. Spluge came in and sat next to him.
Looking out the windshield he said: "We almost there?"
"Yep. Just about. How do Gaz and Dib like that stew you made?"
Spluge laughed. "They didn't like to good. The one with the vision aid had to throw up."
Zim chuckled. "I told them they wouldn't like it. And the other one?"
"The female? She didn't like it either, but she was able to keep it down at least. I tell ya, these 'humans' must have some strange tastes. That stew is famous all over this sector, why would they not like it?"
Zim scratched the back of his neck. "Their physiology is different from ours, and their body doesn't need the same nutrients. To tell you the truth, your stew didn't taste as good to me as I remember it. It must be the human side of me."
Spluge nodded. "Your right. Do humans have eating habits much different from ours?"
Zim considered, then nodded. "Well, for one, their carnivorous. Humans are able to tolerate the high protein level found in flesh – in fact they need to consume it."
Spluge hung his jaw down in disgust. "You mean they're flesh eaters? Oh, God, I think I'm going to be sick! They actually EAT other living things?"
"They eat vegetation also. See, humans classify themselves in a different consumer group then we've considered. They're OMNIVORS. It means they can, and need to consume both flesh and plant life in order for their bodies to function. Now, while this seems strange, it's actually a great evolutionary trait. They are able to adapt to conditions we would shortly die in. For example – if two group of explorers: one Irkin, one human – were stranded alone, somewhere with no food or sustenance what so ever, the humans would outlast us. While the Irkins would die of starvation, the humans – now this is really sick – could resort to CANNIBALISM."
Spluge slapped a hand over his mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick!"
"Try not to think too much about it. Humans are NOT normally cannibals; they look down on such behavior, and are just as disgusted about it as you are. But the thing is: if it came down to it, they would be able to as a last resort. There are recorded cases on Earth of groups being stranded high in the mountains or in the wilderness without food, and surviving that way."
Spluge's antennae crooked slightly. "Earth?"
"That's their home planet, where I was stranded. And you wanna know something else interesting about humans?"
"I don't know, do I?"
Zim smiled. "No, its not disgusting, just fascinating – they DRINK WATER!"
Spluge shook his head. "Now you're just playing with me."
"No I'm serious! 63% of their planet is water; in fact it's believed the first life on their planet sprang from the vast oceans. Around 70% of a human's body is water, too."
Spluge's eyes were by now wide with fascination. "Are they sea creatures?"
"No, they're land animals like us. But they can swim; another evolutionary quirk. And climb."
"Well they sound indestructible, what CAN'T they do?"
"Indestructible? Far from it. Their bone structure and body frame are weak from a gravitation field less than on our planet. And if they don't drink enough water they'll die of dehydration. And despite the fact they can swim, they can't hold their breath very long. About thirty second is average. The gravity problem I'm trying to fix; I've been steadily increasing the artificial gravity since we left. I don't think they've noticed."
"I've noticed that I feel a little lighter on this ship."
"Yea, but I can't increase the amount too drastically. They'll still feel the effect of Irk's gravity once we get there. Hell, I will to. My body's degenerated after seven years of less gravity. I tell ya, right after I landed for the first time on Earth I felt like a million bucks."
Spluge was confused. "A million what?"
"Bucks, a slang term for dollars, a human currency, one of the most valuable. There are a lot of human currencies."
"Why?"
Just then, they passed a beacon, telling them they had just entered Irkin space. A written messaged flashed on the screen.
"I'll explain latter." Said Zim.
The message said in Irkin: 'You have entered Irkin flight space. Welcome! Please be prepared for a boarder patrol check and have a nice day!'
Zim narrowed his brow and raised his antennae. "Boarder check? Since when?"
Spluge said: "Must have been instated right after the Food Courtia battle. I guess they're not taking any chances."
"You know, that Reaptarian said something about a Food Courtia battle. What battle?"
Spluge raised an eyebrow. "You mean you haven't heard?" Zim shook his head.
"The Reaptarians attacked Food Courtia about two days ago. Word is Food Courtia is in pretty bad shape, even though the media doesn't say so. My food providers for the diner say there's some shortages, but only people in the restaurant business know about it so far."
Zim hadn't heard anything past 'Reaptarians attacked Food Courtia two days ago'. He stared at Spluge in disbelief. "Reaptarians ATTACKED Food Courtia!?!"
"Yeah. Caught the armada by surprise. Word is the Tallest themselves had to take control of the fleet."
Zim stared forward in disbelief. He didn't have much time to think, though, because GIR rushed in.
"Master! I want a – Ooo!" GIR had spotted Spluge. "HI!" he pounced on Spluge and began to poke at him. "HI! Who are you? (Gasp)! You took my piggy didn't you!"
"GIR! What are you doing! Who turned you back on!"
They had turned GIR off, temporarily, for safety reasons. Zim knew that if he had been on during flight something horrible might have happened. They rest seemed to have done GIR some good, because he seemed more annoying than usual. "But master! He took my piggy!"
GIR had jumped off Spluge and was now pointing an accusing finger at him. "Didn't you? Didn't you!"
Zim tried to grab GIR but he jumped out of his grip. "GIR, what piggy are you talking about? I'm sure Spluge did not take your piggy…" Zim looked up at Spluge. "Did you?"
"NO!"
Spluge looked at Gir and realized something. "Hey, this is one of those SIR's isn't it!" Spluge picked GIR up and held him at eye level. "Wow, I hear they only assign these to top invaders."
"Well, kind of, but he's-"
GIR spun his head around on his shoulders. "Look! I'm Linda Blare!'
Zim whipped a hand down his face and sighed. "Defective."
Just then, Gaz ran into the cockpit. "There you are! Sorry Zim, but he just turned on a second ago. I don't know why."
Zim continued to look at GIR. "He must have turned on automatically when we passed the boarder."
Gaz sighed. She spotted Spluge. "Hi." She then smiled mischievously. "GIR…" she said, reaching into her back pocket. "Look what I've got."
She pulled a small rubber piggy out, and displayed it. GIR gasped comically and struggled free of Spluge's grasp. He jumped up into Gaz's arms and grabbed the piggy. "I missed you pig!" He then snuggled Gaz. "I love you…"
Gaz grumbled. "Hey, you want me to turn him off again?"
"No, we're almost there anyway. And besides, he's got my ID card. I'll need that when the boarder patrol gets here."
"And not a moment to soon," said Spluge, pointing to the screen. A small light was blinking, signifying someone was trying to contact them. Zim turned to Gaz. "Gaz, you and Dib have better hide in the cargo hold, there are gonna be some soldiers boarding the ship. But wait-" He opened GIR's head (who protested much) and pulled out a small chip that contained his ID information. He closed his head and handed him back to Gaz. "Take him – and make sure he doesn't make a sound." She nodded and ran back into the rear of the ship. Zim turned, and pressed the button to open up communication.
"Wait!" said Spluge. "What's our cover story?" but it was to late. An Irkin soldier appeared on the screen.
"Greetings, civilians. May I ask your purpose for coming to Irk?"
Zim opened his mouth, but said nothing. Luckily, Spluge chimed in. "I'm Spluge and this is my associate. We're here to pick up a shipment of supplies for my diner."
"Do you have a business license?"
"Yes. The registry number is 506-42-5078."
The soldier looked down as he typed. He looked up a moment later. "It checks out. But it seems your ship is unregistered. May I ask why?"
They said nothing for a moment, but it was Spluge to the rescue again. "We were also planning on registering the ship. The head commercial vehicle registry is on Irk, is it not?"
The soldier just looked at them. "I suppose it is. Thank you for your cooperation – and prepare to be boarded."
Zim had thought for one fleeting moment that they would not board, but the thought was premature. He said they were ready to be boarded.
Him and Spluge walked out of the cockpit to the door, where they waited to be docked. They heard the dull metal noises as the docking mechanism from the boarder patrol ship lodged onto the Vooter. The door opened and three Irkin soldiers entered. Zim was surprised (and pleased) to see he was taller than all of them.
As two of them wheeled a device in, the other walked up to Spluge and Zim. He walked right up to Zim, because he was taller. "Good day sir. May I see your and your associates ID chips?" They handed them over, and the soldier inserted them into slots of an electronic clipboard, where the information would be read. "Spluge: Restaurant owner. Valid license." He clicked over to the next screen. "Zim. Wait a minute… Zim? Isn't that the name of the crazy Invader who blew up a section of Irk?"
Zim smiled nervously, stifling a grimace at the mention of his past. "Yeah, guess the name was in circulation when I was born. Some luck, huh?"
The soldier huffed in amusement. "Yeah. Zim: Invader first class. Hey, you're in the military to?"
Zim quickly formulated a cover story. "I was honorably discharged. Spluge here is a relative of mine, and I was discharged from the military so I could help him with the diner because he was going through some hard times. It just happened recently so I guess they haven't upgraded my status yet." Zim didn't know if the soldier would believe this, for it was a little bit of a stretch, but after a moment's consideration he pulled their chips from the slots. "I guess, but it's still an honor to meat a former first class invader of such height."
"Thank you."
The soldier handed them back their chips and turned to the other two. "Their story checks out; bring out the scanner."
The device of which they were bringing in turned out to be a scanner, which would scan the entire ship for any hazardous material. One of the soldiers opened the top of it, which was actually a screen. He turned it on and read the information as it came up. "…No hazardous metal… standard anti-matter engine…" but then the suspicious information started to come up. "… Generic design… and some water. Water? May I ask why you're carrying water aboard your ship?"
Zim scratched the back of his neck. "Is that a problem?"
The soldier typed with one hand on the small keypad. "Water is considered a hazardous material by current HM laws. Can you tell me why you are carrying it – and why my scanner cannot pick up any type energy producing device aboard?"
The soldier looked up at Zim, one eyebrow cocked. "The lights are obviously on."
Zim had no story so he told the truth – despite how suspicious it was going to sound. "The water you detected is located around the anti-matter propulsion unit. The heat produced by the unit is great, so we have water circulating around it to produce steam, which then turns a turbine located to the rear of the ship. You see, we us the water to produce energy." But that was not the whole truth. There were also gallons of water in the cargo hold for Gaz and Dib to drink. "And I suppose the 'generic design' warning your scanner picked up was from that power system. We're actually testing this type of propulsion for a friend of ours."
The solder seemed to half believe, half not believe him. "And who is this 'friend' of yours?"
"A retired professor who still does some independent research. He's located on the East portion of sector 4579." Zim knew that the soldier had no information on sector 4579, besides that it was marked for resource exploitation. He eyed Zim suspiciously, not quite believing them. But finally he gave in. "Fine. I'll be sure to report this to the bureau of hazardous material, though." He closed the scanner screen and turned it off. "That's it. You can start with the ship sweep now."
The third and last soldier began to walk down the hall, into the ship. Zim and Spluge followed, hoping Gaz and Dib had gotten good hiding spots.
Down the hall, near the cargo hold, Dib and Gaz were hiding in a closet. The closet door was partially slatted, so they could see outside of it somewhat. Dib was crammed in first, and Gaz in front of him. Gaz held GIR in her arms, struggling to keep him from moving. He kicked and pushed, but somehow she kept her grip.
"C'mon GIR, hold still I can't-"
"SHHH!" said Dib in a loud whisper. Gaz looked up and gasped when she saw the soldier right outside the door. He stood in back of Zim as he entered the code to enter the cargo area. Gir saw to, and managed to get his head free. "IT'S-" he started to yell, but was cut off when Gaz slapped a hand over his mouth.
The soldier heard this brief, but loud noise from the closet. His head turned sharply in its direction. "What was that?" he asked. "What was what?" asked Zim, still trying to open the hold door. He was sweating. The soldier reached for the closet door's handle…
"Got it!" proclaimed Zim, the soldiers hand only an inch from the knob. The soldier dropped his hand and followed the two Irkins into the hold.
Dib let out his breath and rested his head on Gaz's shoulder. Gaz was not celebrating so soon. She held tight to GIR and hoped he wouldn't bit a chunk out of her Game Slave hand with his metal jaws.
In the hold everything was in crates. There wasn't much left, a cause of concern to Zim, but currently that ment there were less suspicious food items to be looted through. The soldier put his hands on his hips and looked around. "Nothing to out of the ordinary here. Is there anything else I should be alerted of? Any foreign plant or animal life you would like to declare?"
Zim thought, 'Oh yeah, by the way, there's two aliens and a defective robot in the closet. Do those count?'
"No, this is it. Like I said we're here to pick up supplies." Said Spluge. The soldier wiped out a small device and flicked it open. For a while it just beeped regularly, indicating nothing unusual. But when the soldier began to walk around the beeping increased frequency. For a while it was fine, but once he neared a crate of freeze-dried meat, it started up. The soldier peered down at the device. "Hmm. What have we got-"
Just then his communicator went off.
'YO KORK! HURRY UP THERE WILL YA? WE'VE GOT A CALL ON SOME SMUGGLED NACHOS!'
'Kork' pressed the 'talk' button on his communicator and lifted it to his mouth. "Smuggled nachos? Yea, I'm coming." He let it fall back to its place by his shoulder and looked up at Zim. "Everything seems normal. Enjoy your stay on Irk." He then left the cargo hold. He failed to notice, however, that just before he turned off the device the beeping increased dramatically. He had passed the closet.
Zim and Spluge followed the soldier out, where he closed the hatch behind him. The sound of docking equipment dislodging soon followed, and they were free of the boarder patrol. Zim leaned against the wall and sighed with relief.
"HEY! YOU CAN COME OUT NOW!" yelled Spluge down the hallway. Dib and Gaz came down the hall a minute later. Gaz came last, GIR on her shoulder playing with her hair. She looked disheveled.
"Get this thing off me."
Zim complied.
They all crammed into the cockpit, where the planet Irk was rapidly approaching. When they reached a certain distance, they stopped to look at it.
It was a pinkish-orange globe, surrounded by two blue rings. The two Earthlings stared at it in amazement. Zim, with a strange sense of nostalgia. Spluge, not quite feeling the same sense of awe as the rest, respectfully left the cockpit. The three remaining said nothing for a long time. It was Zim who finally broke the silence.
"I'm home," he said softly. "I'm finally home."
__________________________________________________
Red walked through the hall, hands clasped behind his back and bodyguards all around him. He mainly watched the floor as he walked, not daring to look at the prisoners around him. This was the one place where he was not feared. The Prisoners of War ward.
In this facility were the few who had dare defy the Empire and live to tell about it. Their lives were not glamorous, but they were alive. Which was more than you could say for most. Even though they were behind bars, Red could not bring himself to look at them. He knew what he would see if he did look there; he would see utter contempt, hatred. A black rage that burned in the back of their eyes, so delicately poised on the edge of insanity. Them, all of them here wanted both him and Purple dead. He knew that perfectly well. What he could not understand was how Purple or the countless other officials delt with them so effortlessly. Purple himself seemed to meet the hatred head on, with such confidence, that more than a few times Red had seen tough, decorated POW's crumble under his gaze. And Purple was who he would attempt to mimic today.
Usually Purple dealt with POW's when it was necessary. But he was not feeling well (Red figured he had a massive hang-over) and would not be up to the strain of POW negotiation. He had asked Red to go instead. When Red was hesitant, he had said, "Just look them strait in the eye, and be blunt. Don't let your gaze falter. It's a sign of weakness if you do. And they can smell fear, so don't show that either." Red was finding that more and more difficult.
They reached the end of the cellblock, and entered a good-sized room with a divider down the middle. This was the interrogation room. Usually, when prisoners were infiltrated, the negotiator was in the same room, and the prisoner handcuffed to a chair. But when it was necessary for a Tallest to interrogate, the Irkin secret service took no chances. They set up a force field between the rooms, in addition to the prisoner being cuffed. Usually, the prisoner was uncuffed during talks, unless instructed otherwise. This was one of those times.
Red walked up to the viewing window, a slit in the divider, to see into the other room. It was almost completely dark, the only light coming from the slit he was gazing through. He saw a dark, hunched figure in the center of the room. The only movement it made was to see what had obstructed the light coming into the room. The light reflected off its large eyes for a moment, and then was gone. Red turned uneasily away from the window.
He stood about five feet away from where the divider would be raised. He once again, clasped his hands behind his back, and drove the fear to the back of his mind. He sighed, and closed his eyes briefly. When they opened he wore an expression of determination.
"Open it."
One of the guards pressed a button next to the divider, and it slide upward into the ceiling. They heard the force field hum to life under it, and a moment later the lights fluttered up in the room. Red kept his eyes fastened on the prisoner.
Kain sat, cuffed and hunched in the newly lit room. His eyes remained shut. A deep cut over his right brow was just healing over, dried blood still around it. It should have been cared for, but Red guessed he had refused any medical treatment. His exoskeleton resembled armor in the harsh white light. It covered every inch of his body except the laceration above his eye. Each one of his multiple arms were secured in back of him, and his two ankles to the legs of the chair. Well, because Reaptarians walked on their toes like dogs, the chains were technically secured right below his ankles. Either way, every one of his twelve limbs were secure. This made Red feel a little better, but not by much. Even shackled, Kain looked intimidating, like a vicious, rabid beast in a cage. Red almost jumped when his two large insect eyes opened to deadly slits.
"The infamous Red," said Kain, his voice thick with sarcasm and contempt.
"Kain."
"Why have you brought me here?" he said, cocking an armor-plated eyebrow. "To further my humiliation?"
Red, with some effort, kept his composure. "You're here to talk."
Kain raised one side of his lip in a sort of mute growl, and huffed some air contemptuously through his nose. "What do we possibly have to discus? You've enslaved my people. End of story. Not one I particularly like but I can't change history." He narrowed his eyes further. "Nor can you."
Red gulped, and hoped it wasn't visible from where Kain was sitting. Kain obviously knew the shock their attack had on the empire. It had damaged the economy somewhat, but he didn't think Kain knew that. Kain, he presumed, was playing the odds. He probably knew the social damage an attack would cause – hell, he probably planned on it. It must have been a goal to cause civil unrest just a decade after the last revolution.
"The damage on Food Courtia is considerable. As a sort of punishment, your people will be charged with repairs. If it is not done adequately, they will suffer. You will suffer too, but differently. Because of current POW laws, we are not allowed to torture you. But you WILL be present at any executions of your men." Red smirked bitterly. "You're lucky. Most Irkins would kill for a floor seat to that."
Kain brought his shoulders up and back like an angered animal, and growled deep in his throat. He flashed his many fanged teeth. Red began to detect the black rage he so feared. Kain's eyes were still angry slits, but he could sense it. Yes, it was there. As strong as any sensation he had felt. And Kain definitely possessed the potential to kill. But despite that Red was feeling easier. He had gotten a reaction from Kain by mentioning the death of his men. He was slightly more confident.
"Now, as for other matters, we have an offer." Red took a cautious step closer. "If you talk, and tell us what we want to know, we will not execute your men."
Kain spit across the room. "You lie! Irkin scum always lies! I know for a fact that even if I do talk you will just dispose of my men quicker. They would serve no further purpose. I bet you have most of Food Courtia cleaned up by now, anyway. Your death-squads are great at cleaning up messes. No deal, Ty`Blancha, no deal."
Kain's sudden outburst caught Red by surprise, and he had jumped a step back. Despite the force field Kain's voice was still powerful and clear. It sounded as if they were in the same room, with nothing to divide them. Red knew that the Force field didn't filter sound, but it still unnerved him at the closeness of the voice. So full of rage. So full of black, obscene hatred. It made Red want to cover his ears and leave the room. But he didn't, and he looked back up at the prisoner.
What Red didn't notice was the pin in one of Kain's hands. The sudden outburst had been deliberate, to cover up and motion of his lower hand tossing it up to a top one. Red also failed to notice that the chains around Kain's ankles slide a few inches closer to the ground.
Red narrowed his brow. "Well if you won't accept our offer, you'll have to tell up without any compensation. What I want to ask is: Are there any more spies? How did you attain them? And are there any more attacks planned? By any of the conquered territories? If so, tell me."
Kain shrugged contemptuously, when actually he was jamming the pin into the cuff lock. "How would I know? I don't hold conferences with other refugees. But if you want my opinion, there are no more attacks – unfortunately – because there are no more weapons. The ships and weapons we used were from a hidden stockpile that had yet to be raided by your armada. We were most recently conquered, so not all of our supplies had been pillaged yet," He put emphasis on the word 'pillaged'. "So put your mind at ease, Ty`Blancha, I doubt any of your captures have the resources to pull another one like that." Red had failed to notice, thankfully, that Kain had avoided the questions concerning spies.
Red narrowed his gaze. "Why are you telling me all this so quickly? It's as if you're hiding something. What you just told me sounds to well rehearsed" Kain shook his head firmly. "I just don't want more useless casualties."
The lock opened. The first pair of cuffs released, and Kain grabbed them in one of his hands. If it fell to the floor, he would be found out. His left hand gripped the wrist of the right, which held the cuffs. From the front it still appeared as if he was shackled. He carefully dropped the pin to his next waiting hand.
Red picked up a chart, which had been placed on the small table next to him just a short while earlier. He flipped through it; it was the report of Kain's containment so far. An item caught his eye and he peered over the edge of the clipboard at Kain. "You tried to commit suicide."
The second pair off cuffs unlocked.
"So? If I want to die at my own hand that's my decision."
Red was genuinely curious. "Why?"
"Why? Why what? Why is it my decision or why did I attempt it?"
Red cocked an eyebrow. "The later, of course."
Kain seemed to look down and to the side for a second, as if contemplating the question. In actuality, he was having trouble with the third lock.
"If I'm dead then my people will have no reason to listen to you, you blackmailing, son of a bitch, Ty`Blancha. If I'm dead than there will be no need to conform." The third popped open, and Kain smiled darkly. "Then there WILL be an uprising. Reaptarians without a leader can be extremely unruly. Like a swarm of bees with no queen," He had already begun on the fourth cuff. "And you're the smart-ass kid who hit the hive with a stick. I'd hate to be in your position right now." Red wasn't aware Kain ment that very moment.
Red's expression remained unchanged. "You can't rule the universe without making a few enemies."
Kain chuckled in a way Red didn't like. "I suppose your right."
Red took a few steps closer. He was only about two feet from the force field, about six feet from Kain. He looked Kain directly in the eye, just as Purple had instructed. Little did he know that that was exactly what Kain wanted.
"Do you think your little act of defiance had that much effect?" asked Red. "Sure it surprised us, but overall nothing has changed. The only thing you've managed to do is get yourself in prison."
The small, dark smile faded from Kain's lips. "And beat up one of your territories pretty badly. I saw the damage done, you can't deny that. Your death squad may be good, Ty`Blancha, but they can't rebuild an entire planet in time to stop considerable losses. Food Courtia was your biggest supplier of food and supplies. Sure, you and your co-ruler will eat well, but what about the people?" Pop, there went number four. One more to go. "Sooner or later the food shortage will become evident, and people will start to ask questions…" he let it trail off, purposely leaving Red wanting more. Kain didn't want him going anywhere.
"Questions? And since when have you been a master of Irkin sociology?"
Kain narrowed his eyes. "Its common sense, and a little bit of experience. There was a brief famine a few years ago on our planet, and the same thing happened. Not in the capacity it will happen here, tough. I feel you will get it much worse." He leaned back in the chair cockily. "You don't spend half your life ruling an entire race without learning a thing or two about sociology. Don't you agree?"
Red crossed his arms. "No I don't. I think we have the food/supply issue pretty well taken care of. In fact, I think there will be very little question about the attack. A lot of people knew it would happen sooner or later. And a lot of them are grateful it happened on such a small scale. There were some casualties, yes, but not nearly as many as there could have been."
Pop! The last pair of cuffs unlocked. Kain's arms were now completely unshackled. (Here comes the tricky part,) thought Kain to himself. He would have to wait for the right moment; he needed Red to temporarily turn away so he could free his feet. He had limped into the negotiating room, faking an injury from the battle. The guards, thinking he was half immobile anyway, hadn't secured the shackles on his ankles very tightly. There was just enough room, in fact, for Kain to slip his feet out of the chains altogether. That's what he had been doing before Red came in. Judging the slack in the chains and mentally preparing for what he would soon do.
"Sir!" cried a soldier from the back of the room, saluting as he did so. Kain's heart leapt at the sound, but Red did not turn away. "What is it, Lieutenant?"
"Incoming transmission from Tallest Purple! Do you wish it on the viewing screen?"
Red still did not turn away. "No. Tell him I'm in the middle of something."
The guard was momentarily lost for words. "But Sir, he… he might become angry with me."
This time Red did turn, and Kain made his move. "Well if he gets on your case, I'll back you up. Now you've got the support of a Tallest on your side."
The soldier seemed to brighten at the thought of a Tallest fighting for him. "Yes Sir!"
While Red was talking, Kain had hastily removed his feet from their bonds. He pressed them hard up against the chair legs, and pulled them free of the chains. For a moment he feared the movement was to fast, and that Red would notice from the corner of his eye, but he didn't. He turned back to Kain not knowing.
"Is there anything else you want to say before you are escorted back to your cell?"
Kain looked right at Red, their eyes locking. "Just one."
He dropped all five pairs of cuffs to the floor.
"Sir-" said a soldier, but it was too late. Kain lunged from his chair at Red, all arms forward and armed with sharp exoskeleton fingers. Red was catatonic with shock, and couldn't move. As Kain hit the force field, bursts of electricity were suddenly visible, it was only after the initial impact that it became evident – Kain had broken THROUGH the force field!
Kain's top set of arms had penetrated the force field, and he immediately gripped Red by the neck. Red brought his own hands up to release himself from Kain's grip, but it was no use. Reaptarians were notoriously strong, and Kain was their leader. Kain's arms shuddered and bled from the electric current currently being passed through them, but he managed to keep his grip. Interrupted electrical currents shot out like a tiny lightening blots from around Kain's arms where they were penetrating. Through them, Red could clearly see Kain, and clearly see the Black rage billowing from his eyes. He felt Kain's razor-like thumbs push into either side of his windpipe. After a few brief sputters, he could no longer breathe.
The guards were panicked. Most ran outside, to get into Kain's side of the room, but because the force field was being tampered with, the computer did not allow it to open.
"I'm gonna have to manually override it!"
"WELL HURRY!"
Two guards ran to Red and tried in vain to pry him out of Kain's vice-like grip. Red's vision began to go black. He stared at Kain from under half- laded eyes. He was almost gone.
Kain snarled in hatred and pain. He thought, thought for a good moment that Red was going to die, when he heard the door to his side of the room open from the manual override. He stole one last glance at the nearly unconscious Tallest. "Ki Pu-chu mih Kali, Ty`Blancha!" He said defiantly, before being shot with a blaster. His grip released Red, who fell limply to the floor. Kain staggered for a moment, the huge jolt of electric charge from the blaster nearly knocking him unconscious, until a second was shot and he did. He hit the ground with an indifferent THUD and then everything went black.
The two guards that had been trying to help Red hunched over him. One pressed a finger to his neck, and to his relief, found a pulse. But it was very, very weak.
The other sat up strait and hit the communication device on his wrist. "We need a medical team down here NOW!"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Red awoke in the medical cruiser a few minutes later. His eyelids, still heavy, fluttered open. As his vision cleared, he could see the ceiling of the cruiser. There were various monitors around him. His breath, although coming in, hurt and came in a raspy gasps. He tried to swallow but couldn't, and he began to cough.
That was when the medical team first noticed he was awake. One of them bent over him and spoke. "Just take it easy, my Tallest, we're almost to the infirmary."
Red put a hand on his brow, in slight confusion. He tried so speak, but nothing came out. He tried again, and his voice came out hushed and scratchy. "What… what happened? I can't seem to remember right now."
The paramedic checked the monitors as he talked. "You will shortly. What's the last thing you remember?"
It hurt to talk, but Red did. "I remember… a sound. Like… pieces of metal hitting the ground. After that nothing."
One of the guards, who was riding next to him, said, "That was probably the sound of Kain dropping the handcuffs. Right after that he attacked you, damn near killed you. Luckily, the computer overrode and we were able to neutralize him." The guard leaned closer. "You're lucky to be alive, Sir."
Red tried to nod, put a shot of pain bolted through his neck. He carefully brought a hand to his neck, and winced when to touched it. His fingers came back with blood on them. "Blood? Was an artery severed?"
"No," stated the paramedic. "Kain's fingers cut your neck, but they missed any major arteries or veins. He was really just applying pressure, trying to strangle you. …He almost seceded."
Red closed his eyes. He felt the cruiser slow down as they reached the infirmary.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
He was wheeled into the emergency room. He was hooked up to more monitors, but was told he was in no immediate danger. He was also told that Purple would be there shortly. His neck ached, and was constantly prodded by a doctor. He was short, and needed to stand on a stool in order to examine Red.
"You're very lucky," he said, turning Red's head gently from side to side so he could examine the wounds. "A few Gali-meters to either side would have opened major blood-ways. How's your breathing?"
Red inhaled, but almost coughed on the exhale. He shakily released the breath. "Ok, I guess." The doctor narrowed his brow in concern.
"At-ten-SION!" Heard Red outside the door. The stomping of feet as they snapped to attention immediately followed it. It could only be one person.
Purple half-heartedly saluted as he entered. His eyes found Red, and he hissed air through his teeth. He sighed. "Your first negotiation."
Red groaned. Purple sighed again.
"Well, let's have a look at you." Purple walked over to Red, where the doctor had stepped down and was having some trouble moving his stool over. Purple, nonchalantly, picked the stool up in one hand and moved it over. The doctor muttered an embarrassed Thank You and stepped to the side.
Purple lightly touched Red's neck, positioning his fingers just under where his ears would be. He placed his thumbs just under Red's chin, guiding his head as it turned. Red watched Purple's expression change as he examined the wound.
"Is there any internal bleeding?" Purple asked the doctor without turning away from Red.
"No. The main goal of the attack was… strangulation. Though the cuts did come dangerously close."
"I see," said Purple, tilting Red's head up to see under his jaw. "The cuts are on either side of the esophagus. He was putting pressure on the windpipe. They stretch from where the jaw meets the neck to about the collarbone. Tell me Lieutenant," said Purple. The Lieutenant snapped to attention. "Sir."
"How was it possible for Kain to BREAK LOOSE of his bonds and then PENETRATE the force field?" Purple kept his hands on Red but turned his head over his shoulder to face the Lieutenant.
"He… um…" the soldier stuttered for a moment. "He… somehow brought an object – a pin in this case – and manipulated the handcuff locks. After that, he slipped his feet out of the-"
"Yes, tell me, how did he manage that?" Purple's voice was gaining an edge to it. The Lieutenant noticed.
"Well… when we were securing him, he was limping. Because he was hardly mobile… and injured… we figured shackles any tighter would hurt him. He-"
"HURT him?" Purple cut off the soldier again. The tone of his voice was becoming ever more agitated. "HURT him? Now which is a bigger priority: Keeping a Tallest safe, or the comfort of a prisoner? And now, because of some careless judgment, a Tallest was almost killed." Purple wiped around to face the Lieutenant, who was shaking visibly. "How do you feel about that?"
The soldier opened and closed his mouth several times, but nothing came out. Purple was on him in a flash, towering over the shaking soldier. The Lieutenant was reasonably tall, but he stood a good foot shorter than Purple. Purple leaned over him with an angry glare. "You may want to seriously reconsider your position," said Purple in a close, conspirators whisper. His hands flexed tightly, and the soldier could hear the skin strain under the force. "Now get out before I do something I regret."
The Lieutenant almost ran to the door. The doctor, and several other guards in the room, went silent. Purple took a deep breath, then waved a hand in the air. "Please excuse us. I must brief Red on something."
The others in the room got out as fast as they could. Purple whipped a hand over his face and walked back over to Red. "What am I going to do with you?"
Red was a little caught off guard by the statement, but Purple didn't wait for an answer. He held Red's face again, this time for a closer inspection that would have raised eyebrows if the others were in the room. He sighed as he did so.
"So what did you learn? What did he say?" said Purple. Red shrugged, but found that it hurt when the tissue on his neck moved. He scratched the back of his head. "He said he doesn't know if there will be anymore attacks, but he personally doubts it. He says none of the territories have the resources necessary to pull off one like that. He also mentioned a food shortage. I guess they were banking on the idea that an attack on a supply planet would hurt the Economy. To bad they were right." Purple sighed.
"He knows to much. They must have researched this before attacking." Purple leaned close to the wound on Red's neck. At first Red thought he was going to kiss him, but instead he sniffed several times. He pulled back and continued the inspection.
"What was that?" asked Red.
"I was checking for rot. I know it happened just moments ago, but you can never be to careful." He finished the inspection and placed his hands on Red's shoulders. "Anything else I should know?" he asked, looking Red in the eyes. "Not really… except he said some things I couldn't quiet understand."
"Why not?"
"There were in Reaptarian."
"Ah."
Red was fluent in scores of languages, but unfortunately, Reaptarian was not one of them. Purple, fortunately, was.
"What did he say?"
"He kept calling me something… a… Tie… Blancha… something."
"A Ty`Blancha?"
"Yea that's it. What does it mean?"
"There's no exact translation, but it means something like 'Tyrant Politician'." He smirked. "Makes sense."
Red rolled his eyes. "And he said something else… Ki Pu-chu mih Kali… then he said Ty`Blancha again."
Purple wasn't so amused by this. "It means: 'The end of your days rapidly approaches.' Nice, huh?"
Red sighed deeply. "I failed. I went in, hoping to get some information, but instead got attacked. Again, I'm thinking I'm not worthy to be-"
He was hushed by Purple putting a finger over his lips. "Shhhhhhh… enough of that. You're just upset."
Purple touched Red's face, and kissed him on the forehead. He pressed their foreheads together. "When I heard something had happened to you," said Purple softly. "I almost had a heart attack. I couldn't imagine going on without you there."
Red pulled him closer and buried his face in his neck. Purple leaned his head on Red's. "Don't do that to me again." They held each other for a moment before calling the others back in.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
"…And now I'm here." Finished Zim. Spluge's jaw hung slack, his eyes wide. Zim felt himself blush slightly, realizing just how shocking his story was. Spluge said nothing for a long time, just staring at Zim. Zim was about to say something when he finally did. "My god…" he said softly, shaking his head. "And now your back."
They were aboard the ship. Dib and Gaz sat in the room; Gaz sat backward on a chair and dib sat uncomfortably on his. They were in a small, eating hall on the ship. So small, in fact, that there was only room for three chairs. Zim leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. They all regarded Spluge, waiting for some other for of response. Zim had gone over all the basics: The fake mission, the explosion, the painful merging with human growth hormones, the seven years on Earth, and finally the message, and making of the ship in an Earth laboratory. He had divulged into it all, staring down at his crossed arms. When he occasionally looked up, he would see Spluge fascinated, hanging on his every word.
And now he just waited for any response.
"So…" Zim started. "I guess I've told you all this because… I want you to join us." Dib and Gaz looked at each other. "You've been a great friend and… frankly, we need all the support we can get. So, are you with us? Will you help us in our fight?"
Gaz and Dib had no previous knowledge that Zim would make such an offer. Both twisted in their seats.
"Well…" began Spluge, turning his gaze to the ground. "The odds are stacked pretty heavily against you. I mean, two Irkins and two… what are they again?"
"Humans." Said Dib, irritably.
"Yea. Like I said, our chances of… even keeping our lives… are just not that good. I mean… joining you would be like a death wish."
Zim looked down in defeat. It WAS too much to ask Spluge to join them, he knew it. Wishful thinking, he thought. He was just about to tell Spluge not to worry, and that he wasn't mad, when he was clapped on the shoulder.
"But I'll join you, and help take revenge for what they've done."
Zim's heart swelled. He was filled with joy at the thought of his old friend joining them. He smiled and shook Spluge's hand. "Then welcome aboard."
Gaz and Dib exchanged concerned glances.
"Zim," said Gaz. "Could we talk to you for a moment?"
"Well not right-"
"Now!" they said in unison. Despite their differences, Gaz and Dib could occasionally share a sort of sibling connection. A psychic bond Zim never experienced, having no known relatives. He excused himself and left the room with Dib and Gaz.
"What do you think you're doing?!" asked Dib, putting his hands on his hips.
"What! We need all the help we can-"
"But c'mon, Zim!" said Gaz. "We don't know this guy, and why weren't we informed of your little offer? This guy could be a spy for all we know!"
He had never seen Gaz this upset with him. Back on Earth, she was mad all the time, but it had never been with him. In fact, they had just started hanging out recently.
"Zim," said Dib a bit more calmly, taking off his glasses. "Do you understand our point?"
He looked at them. They had the same eyes. Underneath Dib's glasses, it was hard to tell, but now he could see the resemblance more than ever. He thought about telling them that, knowing they would deny it. He sighed and looked at them. "I understand, and I'm sorry for not consulting you. But this guy CAN BE trusted. Please believe me, I need your confidence on this."
They looked at each other, their eyes sharing that bond Zim would never understand. Finally, they looked back at him. "OK," said Gaz. "But please don't make us regret this."
"Deal. And besides, Spluge is a prodigy of a cook, always has been. I say we'll be eating a lot better now that he's on board."
"Thank God!" said Dib, replacing his glasses. "I don't know about you, but freeze-dried bologna looses its luster after about five minutes."
For the first time in a long time, Zim laughed.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Aboard the starship Gargantuan, Elize sat. The treason, which had recently occurred aboard the ship, had been one of her men, and she cursed herself everyday for the folly. She knew that if her uncle had not been Tallest, she would have suffered much more severe consequences. She had given him access to all sorts of intelligence information, without a second though. The mere THOUGHT of a spy in the Irkin fleet was just too remarkable; she never thought to consider it. Of course, her punishment had been minimal. She was warned and suspended from document access for an undecided amount of time. But she had checked, and her password had yet to be restricted. They were afraid, she knew.
Her uncle in collaboration with Red ruled the Empire with an iron fist. She knew it, they knew it, and the public knew it, but everyone was so happy with all the victories that it was ignored. The Irkin Media broadcasted stories about the battles, and harrowing tales of bravery. But they discarded stories about the falling economy and school conditions. Military academies were in top shape, but public schools and universities were working on a slashed budget.
She messaged her temples. Despite all that was wrong with the Empire, she had to admit there were a lot of strong points. Money, military power, and Universal morale was at an all-time high. Everyone was glad to be 'On the winning team'. And as for the Tallest – she had met them both, and they seemed like decent people. Red seemed nice and her uncle was, well, family. And you really couldn't think too badly about your family.
She heard the door to her quarters open and she turned towards the sound. In stepped one of her men, decked out in full combat gear. He saluted and stood at attention before speaking.
"Ma'am!" he shouted. "It's time for the war games. I've been asked to escort you to the arena, Sir! …Eh… Ma'am!"
Elize laughed. " 'Sir' is fine. Wait outside; I'll be there in a minute." He left, and she got up.
On the way to her room she passed up a photo of her mother and Purple. It was taken during a financial convention a year ago, when the senate and financial leaders gathered to discuss budgets and policies. In the picture, Purple had his arms crossed, as if contemplating. Pez stood in front of him, talking with her hands, presumably about some financial issue. The picture was well known throughout the Empire, but only Elize had the original copy. She passed it and went into her room.
She changed into her combat uniform. Stripping of everything but her underwear and bra, she pulled on her armor: Heavy-duty pants, complete with hidden weapon compartments; a blaster-proof chest plate with a red stripe signifying her as the squad leader; combat boots and a helmet, also baring a red stripe. She set her helmet on the bed while she pulled on her gloves. She tucked the ends under her sleeves, and put on her wrist armor. Instead of black, hers were silver. She adjusted herself in the mirror, briefly noticing her dress for the banquet in the background (how different she would look compared to now) and slipped on the helmet. Loading her uniform with weapons (a knife, a small pistol, a tazer) she shouldered her attack rifle and left the room. Out in the hall, she put down the helmet's visor and motioned to the private standing by her door. "Let's go."
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
She entered the hanger, where her men mulled around, waiting.
"Soldiers!" she shouted in the large hanger. Her voice rang through the acoustically inferior room. The men snapped to attention. "SIR!" they said in unison. Their collective voices were even louder than hers. She walked to the front of them and waved a hand in the air. "At ease. Private Morr tells me that we have a briefing today. I expect you all to be shining examples of discipline and military excellence. Can you do that?"
"SIR, YES SIR!" they responded in unison. She nodded and took her place at the front of the squad.
The doors to their left opened, and in stepped an aid. He stood in front of the doors and announced: "Presenting, the ruler of the Irkin Empire, General Royal and Commander of the star ship 'Gargantuan', Tallest Purple!"
Elize had not expected Purple himself to do the briefing. She then realized, with some amusement, that none of her men knew she was his niece. She stifled a smile. "Atten-TION!" she shouted, and the squad did so.
Purple walked in, hands clasped behind his back. He wore his Commanders uniform, which resembled one of his usual robes except it was semi-armor and bared the Irkin insignia. It went down to his ankles, flowing regally. He stood dead center in front of the squad and began.
"You have been assembled here today to participate in the annual War games. Unfortunately, the war games purpose has been made all to evident by the recent attack on Food Courtia." He paused, rather well, for dramatic effect. He began to pace back and forth in front of the soldiers. "This should increase your determination. While the games are not for real, you should always keep in mind that you ARE training for real battle. And remember, as you participate, the lives of your fellow soldiers that were lost during the battle."
"SIR, YES SIR!" the entire squad, Elize included, shouted. Purple stood for a moment, looking over the men. His eyes finally settled on Elize, and he smiled almost imperceptibly. He walked over to her. "Remove your helmet, soldier."
She did so, and held it under her right arm. "Identify yourself."
"Sir! Lieutenant first class Elize! Ground troop and Air gunner capable, Sir!" she said.
Purple smiled visibly now. He nodded his head. "You have led your squad well, Lieutenant. This is one of the most decorated bunch of men I have seen in my career of ruling. You, yourself, are highly decorated. The Empire commends you for your hard work."
Elize smiled. "Sir! Thank you, Sir!"
"Now, I have a few issues I wish to discus with you," he held out his hand, and a clipboard was placed into it by the aid. He curled in into his arm and placed the pen point onto it, ready to write. "I take it you are attending the banquet next cycle?"
"Sir, yes, Sir."
"The most respected leaders in the Empire will be there. How may I ask, were you invited?"
"I believe you did, Sir."
Purple nodded. "Very good, so I did. Now, for other matters-"
He shifted his weight onto one leg, and tapped the pen on his chin. In a very conversational tone he said: "Which would you prefer: Recorded or live music?"
"Uh…." She assumed the same casual stance and scratched her head. "Live."
"Uh-huh," he said and wrote it down. "And diner – served before, during, or after the address speech?"
"During would very classy." She said. He wrote it down.
"And finally – Soup or salad?"
She considered only a moment. "Both." Purple rolled his eyes. "I'll put you down for 'soup'." He finished writing and handed the board back to the aid. "Gotta ask people's opinions on these things. Remember last time?"
She nodded. "Oh yea. Senator Bort was never the same." Senator Bort had been allergic to the soup last year. He broke out in hives and had to be escorted home. Purple nodded in remembrance.
"Yes, yes. That wasn't all too pleasant was it? Well, I guess I'll see you there. I'll be watching you from the viewing deck now, so make me proud."
"Yes, Sir!"
Purple shook his head. " 'Sir' is so formal. Why don't call me what you normally do?"
"Sure thing – Uncle." Elize couldn't see them, but she knew that behind her the squad was shocked. Purple must have realized, because he smiled when he looked over her shoulder at them.
"Now go out there and show these privates why our bloodline is the strongest in the Galaxy." He, breaching tradition, saluted HER first. She raised her hand to her brow and held it there. "Sure thing – Uncy Pur." He laughed as they brought down their hands. "Oh, I'll get you for that."
"Sure you will." She said, and winked at him. He chuckled as he left the hanger.
After Purple and the aid had left, she turned to face her squad. Each face reflected utter amazement. "Well you heard the man," she said, pulling the helmet back on her head. "Let's show him what we're made of."
She flicked down the visor as the hanger doors opened.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Zim sat in the cockpit of the ship they had lovingly named: "The Vooter", after Zim's fallen cruiser. He steered half-heartedly, his reflexes already used to the controls. Spluge came in and sat next to him.
Looking out the windshield he said: "We almost there?"
"Yep. Just about. How do Gaz and Dib like that stew you made?"
Spluge laughed. "They didn't like to good. The one with the vision aid had to throw up."
Zim chuckled. "I told them they wouldn't like it. And the other one?"
"The female? She didn't like it either, but she was able to keep it down at least. I tell ya, these 'humans' must have some strange tastes. That stew is famous all over this sector, why would they not like it?"
Zim scratched the back of his neck. "Their physiology is different from ours, and their body doesn't need the same nutrients. To tell you the truth, your stew didn't taste as good to me as I remember it. It must be the human side of me."
Spluge nodded. "Your right. Do humans have eating habits much different from ours?"
Zim considered, then nodded. "Well, for one, their carnivorous. Humans are able to tolerate the high protein level found in flesh – in fact they need to consume it."
Spluge hung his jaw down in disgust. "You mean they're flesh eaters? Oh, God, I think I'm going to be sick! They actually EAT other living things?"
"They eat vegetation also. See, humans classify themselves in a different consumer group then we've considered. They're OMNIVORS. It means they can, and need to consume both flesh and plant life in order for their bodies to function. Now, while this seems strange, it's actually a great evolutionary trait. They are able to adapt to conditions we would shortly die in. For example – if two group of explorers: one Irkin, one human – were stranded alone, somewhere with no food or sustenance what so ever, the humans would outlast us. While the Irkins would die of starvation, the humans – now this is really sick – could resort to CANNIBALISM."
Spluge slapped a hand over his mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick!"
"Try not to think too much about it. Humans are NOT normally cannibals; they look down on such behavior, and are just as disgusted about it as you are. But the thing is: if it came down to it, they would be able to as a last resort. There are recorded cases on Earth of groups being stranded high in the mountains or in the wilderness without food, and surviving that way."
Spluge's antennae crooked slightly. "Earth?"
"That's their home planet, where I was stranded. And you wanna know something else interesting about humans?"
"I don't know, do I?"
Zim smiled. "No, its not disgusting, just fascinating – they DRINK WATER!"
Spluge shook his head. "Now you're just playing with me."
"No I'm serious! 63% of their planet is water; in fact it's believed the first life on their planet sprang from the vast oceans. Around 70% of a human's body is water, too."
Spluge's eyes were by now wide with fascination. "Are they sea creatures?"
"No, they're land animals like us. But they can swim; another evolutionary quirk. And climb."
"Well they sound indestructible, what CAN'T they do?"
"Indestructible? Far from it. Their bone structure and body frame are weak from a gravitation field less than on our planet. And if they don't drink enough water they'll die of dehydration. And despite the fact they can swim, they can't hold their breath very long. About thirty second is average. The gravity problem I'm trying to fix; I've been steadily increasing the artificial gravity since we left. I don't think they've noticed."
"I've noticed that I feel a little lighter on this ship."
"Yea, but I can't increase the amount too drastically. They'll still feel the effect of Irk's gravity once we get there. Hell, I will to. My body's degenerated after seven years of less gravity. I tell ya, right after I landed for the first time on Earth I felt like a million bucks."
Spluge was confused. "A million what?"
"Bucks, a slang term for dollars, a human currency, one of the most valuable. There are a lot of human currencies."
"Why?"
Just then, they passed a beacon, telling them they had just entered Irkin space. A written messaged flashed on the screen.
"I'll explain latter." Said Zim.
The message said in Irkin: 'You have entered Irkin flight space. Welcome! Please be prepared for a boarder patrol check and have a nice day!'
Zim narrowed his brow and raised his antennae. "Boarder check? Since when?"
Spluge said: "Must have been instated right after the Food Courtia battle. I guess they're not taking any chances."
"You know, that Reaptarian said something about a Food Courtia battle. What battle?"
Spluge raised an eyebrow. "You mean you haven't heard?" Zim shook his head.
"The Reaptarians attacked Food Courtia about two days ago. Word is Food Courtia is in pretty bad shape, even though the media doesn't say so. My food providers for the diner say there's some shortages, but only people in the restaurant business know about it so far."
Zim hadn't heard anything past 'Reaptarians attacked Food Courtia two days ago'. He stared at Spluge in disbelief. "Reaptarians ATTACKED Food Courtia!?!"
"Yeah. Caught the armada by surprise. Word is the Tallest themselves had to take control of the fleet."
Zim stared forward in disbelief. He didn't have much time to think, though, because GIR rushed in.
"Master! I want a – Ooo!" GIR had spotted Spluge. "HI!" he pounced on Spluge and began to poke at him. "HI! Who are you? (Gasp)! You took my piggy didn't you!"
"GIR! What are you doing! Who turned you back on!"
They had turned GIR off, temporarily, for safety reasons. Zim knew that if he had been on during flight something horrible might have happened. They rest seemed to have done GIR some good, because he seemed more annoying than usual. "But master! He took my piggy!"
GIR had jumped off Spluge and was now pointing an accusing finger at him. "Didn't you? Didn't you!"
Zim tried to grab GIR but he jumped out of his grip. "GIR, what piggy are you talking about? I'm sure Spluge did not take your piggy…" Zim looked up at Spluge. "Did you?"
"NO!"
Spluge looked at Gir and realized something. "Hey, this is one of those SIR's isn't it!" Spluge picked GIR up and held him at eye level. "Wow, I hear they only assign these to top invaders."
"Well, kind of, but he's-"
GIR spun his head around on his shoulders. "Look! I'm Linda Blare!'
Zim whipped a hand down his face and sighed. "Defective."
Just then, Gaz ran into the cockpit. "There you are! Sorry Zim, but he just turned on a second ago. I don't know why."
Zim continued to look at GIR. "He must have turned on automatically when we passed the boarder."
Gaz sighed. She spotted Spluge. "Hi." She then smiled mischievously. "GIR…" she said, reaching into her back pocket. "Look what I've got."
She pulled a small rubber piggy out, and displayed it. GIR gasped comically and struggled free of Spluge's grasp. He jumped up into Gaz's arms and grabbed the piggy. "I missed you pig!" He then snuggled Gaz. "I love you…"
Gaz grumbled. "Hey, you want me to turn him off again?"
"No, we're almost there anyway. And besides, he's got my ID card. I'll need that when the boarder patrol gets here."
"And not a moment to soon," said Spluge, pointing to the screen. A small light was blinking, signifying someone was trying to contact them. Zim turned to Gaz. "Gaz, you and Dib have better hide in the cargo hold, there are gonna be some soldiers boarding the ship. But wait-" He opened GIR's head (who protested much) and pulled out a small chip that contained his ID information. He closed his head and handed him back to Gaz. "Take him – and make sure he doesn't make a sound." She nodded and ran back into the rear of the ship. Zim turned, and pressed the button to open up communication.
"Wait!" said Spluge. "What's our cover story?" but it was to late. An Irkin soldier appeared on the screen.
"Greetings, civilians. May I ask your purpose for coming to Irk?"
Zim opened his mouth, but said nothing. Luckily, Spluge chimed in. "I'm Spluge and this is my associate. We're here to pick up a shipment of supplies for my diner."
"Do you have a business license?"
"Yes. The registry number is 506-42-5078."
The soldier looked down as he typed. He looked up a moment later. "It checks out. But it seems your ship is unregistered. May I ask why?"
They said nothing for a moment, but it was Spluge to the rescue again. "We were also planning on registering the ship. The head commercial vehicle registry is on Irk, is it not?"
The soldier just looked at them. "I suppose it is. Thank you for your cooperation – and prepare to be boarded."
Zim had thought for one fleeting moment that they would not board, but the thought was premature. He said they were ready to be boarded.
Him and Spluge walked out of the cockpit to the door, where they waited to be docked. They heard the dull metal noises as the docking mechanism from the boarder patrol ship lodged onto the Vooter. The door opened and three Irkin soldiers entered. Zim was surprised (and pleased) to see he was taller than all of them.
As two of them wheeled a device in, the other walked up to Spluge and Zim. He walked right up to Zim, because he was taller. "Good day sir. May I see your and your associates ID chips?" They handed them over, and the soldier inserted them into slots of an electronic clipboard, where the information would be read. "Spluge: Restaurant owner. Valid license." He clicked over to the next screen. "Zim. Wait a minute… Zim? Isn't that the name of the crazy Invader who blew up a section of Irk?"
Zim smiled nervously, stifling a grimace at the mention of his past. "Yeah, guess the name was in circulation when I was born. Some luck, huh?"
The soldier huffed in amusement. "Yeah. Zim: Invader first class. Hey, you're in the military to?"
Zim quickly formulated a cover story. "I was honorably discharged. Spluge here is a relative of mine, and I was discharged from the military so I could help him with the diner because he was going through some hard times. It just happened recently so I guess they haven't upgraded my status yet." Zim didn't know if the soldier would believe this, for it was a little bit of a stretch, but after a moment's consideration he pulled their chips from the slots. "I guess, but it's still an honor to meat a former first class invader of such height."
"Thank you."
The soldier handed them back their chips and turned to the other two. "Their story checks out; bring out the scanner."
The device of which they were bringing in turned out to be a scanner, which would scan the entire ship for any hazardous material. One of the soldiers opened the top of it, which was actually a screen. He turned it on and read the information as it came up. "…No hazardous metal… standard anti-matter engine…" but then the suspicious information started to come up. "… Generic design… and some water. Water? May I ask why you're carrying water aboard your ship?"
Zim scratched the back of his neck. "Is that a problem?"
The soldier typed with one hand on the small keypad. "Water is considered a hazardous material by current HM laws. Can you tell me why you are carrying it – and why my scanner cannot pick up any type energy producing device aboard?"
The soldier looked up at Zim, one eyebrow cocked. "The lights are obviously on."
Zim had no story so he told the truth – despite how suspicious it was going to sound. "The water you detected is located around the anti-matter propulsion unit. The heat produced by the unit is great, so we have water circulating around it to produce steam, which then turns a turbine located to the rear of the ship. You see, we us the water to produce energy." But that was not the whole truth. There were also gallons of water in the cargo hold for Gaz and Dib to drink. "And I suppose the 'generic design' warning your scanner picked up was from that power system. We're actually testing this type of propulsion for a friend of ours."
The solder seemed to half believe, half not believe him. "And who is this 'friend' of yours?"
"A retired professor who still does some independent research. He's located on the East portion of sector 4579." Zim knew that the soldier had no information on sector 4579, besides that it was marked for resource exploitation. He eyed Zim suspiciously, not quite believing them. But finally he gave in. "Fine. I'll be sure to report this to the bureau of hazardous material, though." He closed the scanner screen and turned it off. "That's it. You can start with the ship sweep now."
The third and last soldier began to walk down the hall, into the ship. Zim and Spluge followed, hoping Gaz and Dib had gotten good hiding spots.
Down the hall, near the cargo hold, Dib and Gaz were hiding in a closet. The closet door was partially slatted, so they could see outside of it somewhat. Dib was crammed in first, and Gaz in front of him. Gaz held GIR in her arms, struggling to keep him from moving. He kicked and pushed, but somehow she kept her grip.
"C'mon GIR, hold still I can't-"
"SHHH!" said Dib in a loud whisper. Gaz looked up and gasped when she saw the soldier right outside the door. He stood in back of Zim as he entered the code to enter the cargo area. Gir saw to, and managed to get his head free. "IT'S-" he started to yell, but was cut off when Gaz slapped a hand over his mouth.
The soldier heard this brief, but loud noise from the closet. His head turned sharply in its direction. "What was that?" he asked. "What was what?" asked Zim, still trying to open the hold door. He was sweating. The soldier reached for the closet door's handle…
"Got it!" proclaimed Zim, the soldiers hand only an inch from the knob. The soldier dropped his hand and followed the two Irkins into the hold.
Dib let out his breath and rested his head on Gaz's shoulder. Gaz was not celebrating so soon. She held tight to GIR and hoped he wouldn't bit a chunk out of her Game Slave hand with his metal jaws.
In the hold everything was in crates. There wasn't much left, a cause of concern to Zim, but currently that ment there were less suspicious food items to be looted through. The soldier put his hands on his hips and looked around. "Nothing to out of the ordinary here. Is there anything else I should be alerted of? Any foreign plant or animal life you would like to declare?"
Zim thought, 'Oh yeah, by the way, there's two aliens and a defective robot in the closet. Do those count?'
"No, this is it. Like I said we're here to pick up supplies." Said Spluge. The soldier wiped out a small device and flicked it open. For a while it just beeped regularly, indicating nothing unusual. But when the soldier began to walk around the beeping increased frequency. For a while it was fine, but once he neared a crate of freeze-dried meat, it started up. The soldier peered down at the device. "Hmm. What have we got-"
Just then his communicator went off.
'YO KORK! HURRY UP THERE WILL YA? WE'VE GOT A CALL ON SOME SMUGGLED NACHOS!'
'Kork' pressed the 'talk' button on his communicator and lifted it to his mouth. "Smuggled nachos? Yea, I'm coming." He let it fall back to its place by his shoulder and looked up at Zim. "Everything seems normal. Enjoy your stay on Irk." He then left the cargo hold. He failed to notice, however, that just before he turned off the device the beeping increased dramatically. He had passed the closet.
Zim and Spluge followed the soldier out, where he closed the hatch behind him. The sound of docking equipment dislodging soon followed, and they were free of the boarder patrol. Zim leaned against the wall and sighed with relief.
"HEY! YOU CAN COME OUT NOW!" yelled Spluge down the hallway. Dib and Gaz came down the hall a minute later. Gaz came last, GIR on her shoulder playing with her hair. She looked disheveled.
"Get this thing off me."
Zim complied.
They all crammed into the cockpit, where the planet Irk was rapidly approaching. When they reached a certain distance, they stopped to look at it.
It was a pinkish-orange globe, surrounded by two blue rings. The two Earthlings stared at it in amazement. Zim, with a strange sense of nostalgia. Spluge, not quite feeling the same sense of awe as the rest, respectfully left the cockpit. The three remaining said nothing for a long time. It was Zim who finally broke the silence.
"I'm home," he said softly. "I'm finally home."