Simulation 'Dib'
Dib got up out of bed and blinked groggily at the intruding sunlight.
Saturday.
One hand fumbled for his glasses bringing his room into focus. He nearly fell when he finally got to the floor several feet below his bed.
Yawning gently he made his way to his door scratching an overly intruding itch on his side as he went.
A shower, some personal business and he found himself in front of the sink in his clothes for the day trying to remember where the brush went. He opened the medicine cabinet shifting bottles and half-empty boxes of band-aids. He shut it after locating the elusive grooming item.
A few strokes through stiff black hair and the brush clattered into the sink.
He stumbled backwards falling hard to the floor.
He got up slowly peering into the mirror as carefully as he could.
There, in the reflective glass were his eyes. Eyes with an expression written in them that he had seen the day before.
On the face of an alien.
That's where he had seen it. In a god damn mirror.
For a long heart stopping moment he couldn't think. The fact that he was seeing his own eyes in an alien was enough to shut him down.
Then finally a question made itself known.
What did Zim do?
* * *
Zim stood hands clasped behind his back and head up. "Go ahead, extend them."
Lak quirked her antenna and glanced behind herself. Openings appeared in her back-pod. But the arachnid legs failed to extend. She looked discouraged.
"I'm sorry." She said letting the pod close. "It's just not working."
"Don't worry. It takes time to master them. At least the pod opened this time." Zim said approaching her. "Most hatchlings can't even do that at your stage."
She shrugged, a disturbingly human gesture.
"Alright, though a bit more time training would be advisable, I think you need a break." Zim pulled out his contacts and put them on.
She immediately brightened. "We get to go back out?" Her antenna rose.
"Yes, but we will have to be careful. The Dib-Human will undoubtedly be out watching us." He said putting his wig on.
Lak tucked her antenna into the pigtails of her own wig. "I know he will. He's driven to do it." She put in one contact.
Zim listened carefully, anything Lak said was a tiny window into Dib. Whatever she said could be vital. He would not push too hard, he had no idea how exactly her mind operated.
Once they had their disguises in they exited the base. The sun was out, but the sky was partly cloudy decreasing the dreadful yellow light but increasing the threat of rain.
But humidity was low so Zim wasn't worried.
Outside Lak reacted like a hyperactive hatchling. Every sound made her turn and inspect it. Zim, not used to being around Irkens lacking military training did his best to restrain her.
"Lak, honestly. This place is a filthy hole in the ground with moronic monkey creatures all over it."
She looked like a scolded child and seemed to calm down. The Irken part of her was disgusted by her surroundings, but Dibs simulated mind was set on protecting what she saw.
"Alright Zim!" A voice shouted from behind them.
The two Irkens turned to see Dib standing on the sidewalk glaring at them. "Who is she?" He pointed an accusing finger at Lak.
"None of your concern Human." Zim hissed narrowing his eyes.
"I think she is." Dib growled.
"Human." Lak waited for Dib to look at her. "I am not what you would think."
"And what would that be?" Dib asked crossing his arms, his glare resting on Zim again.
"A newcomer from the Irken home world. I've never set foot off this planet to be honest."
Dib took in this information, his arms dropped a little. "What are you?"
Zim stepped forward, ever the alpha-male. "Her existence is not your concern Human."
Lak put a hand on Zims shoulder. "Let me." She said too softly for Dib to hear. She kept going forward towards Dib.
The Human stepped backwards a step the closer she came.
Her pigtails were pushed down the back of her head as her antenna strained to manage a threatening pose. "I know how you think. I know that thought inside your mind that you just can't shake." Her head tilted slightly. "To capture the alien. But listen to me Dib. To me, you are the alien."
Dib grit his teeth. He felt like throwing up. An alien was inside his head now. Mind control.
She shook her head. "Not mind control."
He nearly fell backwards for the second time that day. "How did you."
"I've already told you." She said taking a step backwards. "I know your mind." She went back to Zim who had watched the proceedings with interest.
"Interesting isn't it Dib?" Zim asked struggling to keep his malicious grin hidden. "That I now have the upper hand by using your own mind." He brushed past Dib harshly. "Come Lak, we go home."
Dib watched them walk away, with an empty feeling spreading from his stomach to his heart.
* * *
The nighttime sky marked Laks' second night of true life. Her Dib-like habits made themselves more known during this time. The night sky held everything Dib hated, feared and enjoyed. Zim found it interesting.
On this night she had dragged him out of the lab into the front yard. Laying on the ground staring up into the sky and stars that littered it wasn't Zims' idea of productivity. But he simply could not refuse her.
"Look at it."
He did, but found nothing. "It's merely stars and space."
"It's beautiful."
"Hmmm." He nodded but wasn't looking up into the sky anymore.
"I'm going to have to capture him." She said suddenly.
"Eh?" Zim sat up. "What do you mean?"
"I told him he was my alien. That's the main thought between us. 'Capture the alien'." Her contact covered eyes darted to him. "Is that bad?"
Zim smiled but let it fall away. "No, in fact it might the best thing for this mission."
She returned her eyes to the sky. "Good."
He sat there a moment, then lay back down and idly watched the sky letting Lak enjoy it for him.
Dib got up out of bed and blinked groggily at the intruding sunlight.
Saturday.
One hand fumbled for his glasses bringing his room into focus. He nearly fell when he finally got to the floor several feet below his bed.
Yawning gently he made his way to his door scratching an overly intruding itch on his side as he went.
A shower, some personal business and he found himself in front of the sink in his clothes for the day trying to remember where the brush went. He opened the medicine cabinet shifting bottles and half-empty boxes of band-aids. He shut it after locating the elusive grooming item.
A few strokes through stiff black hair and the brush clattered into the sink.
He stumbled backwards falling hard to the floor.
He got up slowly peering into the mirror as carefully as he could.
There, in the reflective glass were his eyes. Eyes with an expression written in them that he had seen the day before.
On the face of an alien.
That's where he had seen it. In a god damn mirror.
For a long heart stopping moment he couldn't think. The fact that he was seeing his own eyes in an alien was enough to shut him down.
Then finally a question made itself known.
What did Zim do?
* * *
Zim stood hands clasped behind his back and head up. "Go ahead, extend them."
Lak quirked her antenna and glanced behind herself. Openings appeared in her back-pod. But the arachnid legs failed to extend. She looked discouraged.
"I'm sorry." She said letting the pod close. "It's just not working."
"Don't worry. It takes time to master them. At least the pod opened this time." Zim said approaching her. "Most hatchlings can't even do that at your stage."
She shrugged, a disturbingly human gesture.
"Alright, though a bit more time training would be advisable, I think you need a break." Zim pulled out his contacts and put them on.
She immediately brightened. "We get to go back out?" Her antenna rose.
"Yes, but we will have to be careful. The Dib-Human will undoubtedly be out watching us." He said putting his wig on.
Lak tucked her antenna into the pigtails of her own wig. "I know he will. He's driven to do it." She put in one contact.
Zim listened carefully, anything Lak said was a tiny window into Dib. Whatever she said could be vital. He would not push too hard, he had no idea how exactly her mind operated.
Once they had their disguises in they exited the base. The sun was out, but the sky was partly cloudy decreasing the dreadful yellow light but increasing the threat of rain.
But humidity was low so Zim wasn't worried.
Outside Lak reacted like a hyperactive hatchling. Every sound made her turn and inspect it. Zim, not used to being around Irkens lacking military training did his best to restrain her.
"Lak, honestly. This place is a filthy hole in the ground with moronic monkey creatures all over it."
She looked like a scolded child and seemed to calm down. The Irken part of her was disgusted by her surroundings, but Dibs simulated mind was set on protecting what she saw.
"Alright Zim!" A voice shouted from behind them.
The two Irkens turned to see Dib standing on the sidewalk glaring at them. "Who is she?" He pointed an accusing finger at Lak.
"None of your concern Human." Zim hissed narrowing his eyes.
"I think she is." Dib growled.
"Human." Lak waited for Dib to look at her. "I am not what you would think."
"And what would that be?" Dib asked crossing his arms, his glare resting on Zim again.
"A newcomer from the Irken home world. I've never set foot off this planet to be honest."
Dib took in this information, his arms dropped a little. "What are you?"
Zim stepped forward, ever the alpha-male. "Her existence is not your concern Human."
Lak put a hand on Zims shoulder. "Let me." She said too softly for Dib to hear. She kept going forward towards Dib.
The Human stepped backwards a step the closer she came.
Her pigtails were pushed down the back of her head as her antenna strained to manage a threatening pose. "I know how you think. I know that thought inside your mind that you just can't shake." Her head tilted slightly. "To capture the alien. But listen to me Dib. To me, you are the alien."
Dib grit his teeth. He felt like throwing up. An alien was inside his head now. Mind control.
She shook her head. "Not mind control."
He nearly fell backwards for the second time that day. "How did you."
"I've already told you." She said taking a step backwards. "I know your mind." She went back to Zim who had watched the proceedings with interest.
"Interesting isn't it Dib?" Zim asked struggling to keep his malicious grin hidden. "That I now have the upper hand by using your own mind." He brushed past Dib harshly. "Come Lak, we go home."
Dib watched them walk away, with an empty feeling spreading from his stomach to his heart.
* * *
The nighttime sky marked Laks' second night of true life. Her Dib-like habits made themselves more known during this time. The night sky held everything Dib hated, feared and enjoyed. Zim found it interesting.
On this night she had dragged him out of the lab into the front yard. Laying on the ground staring up into the sky and stars that littered it wasn't Zims' idea of productivity. But he simply could not refuse her.
"Look at it."
He did, but found nothing. "It's merely stars and space."
"It's beautiful."
"Hmmm." He nodded but wasn't looking up into the sky anymore.
"I'm going to have to capture him." She said suddenly.
"Eh?" Zim sat up. "What do you mean?"
"I told him he was my alien. That's the main thought between us. 'Capture the alien'." Her contact covered eyes darted to him. "Is that bad?"
Zim smiled but let it fall away. "No, in fact it might the best thing for this mission."
She returned her eyes to the sky. "Good."
He sat there a moment, then lay back down and idly watched the sky letting Lak enjoy it for him.