Chapter 18 Too Real To Be A Puppet

Zim was shocked beyond compare looking down at the falling female Irkin. Rogue's eyes were not showing back any sign of life nor movement. It suddenly felt like time has stopped for Zim. He slowly, with a quivered hand, reached down and touched her neck, hoping to feel a pulse. Next to him stood Dib and Gir, one fully aware of what could be wrong with Rogue, the other looking down at her with a little confuse look, not understanding the possible situation.

Zim felt around Rogue's neck for a sign of life, but he couldn't pick anything up. Without hesitation, and fearing the wrost with every second, he leaned over and placed his invisable ear to her chest.

"...Is..she...?" Dib suddenly worded out.

Zim didn't answer. He slowly lifted from Rogue, his eyes beginning to widen. "...No......" His mind was suddenly bombarded by past memorys, the time he first saw Rogue in her human disguise, the point where her true form was revealed, the moment when learning what the Tallest stated over the computer, when he first experienced a new feeling.....it was all so overwhelming for him.

A sudden jolt of mixed emotions eruped inside the Irkin. He hung his head low, and suddenly, tears came pouring from his red eyes. he tried to hold back, but the tears just continued, falling on Rogue's chest.

No doubt, Dib was taken back by this, even after seeing Rogue giving Zim a "hug" earlier. He wasn't sure if Zim was feeling the same way.

Gir looked up at his Master, giving a sweet sorry look, but he still didn't quite understand.

The Tallest just watched as Zim continued to display this unusual state for thier race. All they could do was exchange looks with this.

"What's with him?" Purple then said outloud.

The words reached Zim, making him shoot up his head towards them, the tears still flowing. Red and Purple just stared at him, and then, began to snicker abit. Thier heartless way of thier act was the trigger that set Zim off.

"..You...YOU MURDEROUS MONSTERS!!!" The Irkin screamed at the tops of his lungs, and depolted his metal legs once more. In blinded rage, he went right for the tall ones, mainly Red with his now busted backpack. But thinking quickly, Red grabbed his ruling parther, placing him infront of his person, and his shield immediately went up, protecting both of them as Zim was again blowned back by the shield's defensive energy, and falling right on top of Dib.

"Sheesh..touchy!" Red said, watching Zim getting up off the floor, and Dib rubbing on some new brusies on his head. "What's with you?" Red asked.

Zim glared right back up at both of them. He raised an pointed finger towards them, almost like he had a gun in his hand. "You both should be destroyed! I should of saw it before!" More tears came forth. "Going and taking Rogue's LIFE! SHE DIDN'T DESERVE THAT! But you two...you should be the ones on the floor!"

"Oh please..." Purple said sarcastically. "You think we would go and dispose someone like Rogue? Not after all the work was done into making something like her, DUH!"

""Making" her??" Dib said with a look.

"She ain't dead, ZIM." Red said. "We just...'shut her off", you might say."

"What?" Zim turned to Rogue again, looking her over. Sure, she WAS part cybrog, but only in the arms! Right? He turned back to the Tallest to hear the rest to what Red was saying.

"I guess you were too much of an idiot to realize one other thing about her. Rogue's abiltiys, her speed, her hearing, and fighting skills, they're all SO advance, that for a normal Irkin to be able to do the same, their own DNA would have to first evolve millions of years ahead of their time! Her arms are NOT the only thing with her that's robotic."

"Her BRAIN is mostly cybrog too." Purple said butting in.

"Her brain?" Zim said.

"So basicly.." Red continued. "...she's really nothing more but a PUPPET slave then a real Irkin!"

"So that's what they meant by saying "shut her down"." Dib said, thinking outloud. "If her BRAIN is mostly made of robotics, then in other words, she's more of a ROBOT."

"THAT CAN'T BE TRUE!" Zim shouted. "If it was, then Rogue would of told me that!"

"She doesn't know about it herself." Purple said with a grin. "We never told her much about her past in the first place."

"Will you shut up!" Red said, jabbing him in the shoulder.

"He means the "ROGUE" Project." Dib then said, getting right in the conversation himself.

"They know that too!" Purple said.

"The time when Tallest Teal ruled!" Zim said. "Then you must know what happened back then! Rogue has NO memory of that OR Teal! You had something to do with that, right?!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but no, we don't." Red said. "At the time, we were still growing in a tube!"

"It was that long?" Purple asked.

"LIES!!" Zim shouted out, totally refusing what the Tallest say. "I COMMAND you to TELL me, and also, BRING ROGUE BACK!!"

"Why does Rogue seem so important to you anyway?" Red asked. "She's just a slaving robot, like your trashy SIR unit over there." He pointed to Gir, who just cocked his head towards him.

But Zim was finished listening to the Tallest. He just walked closer to them, and repeated, saying, "....BRING ROGUE BACK....."

Both Red and Purple just leaned down to Zim's face. "...No...and you know why?" Red said sarcasticly. Purple then spoked by saying, "Because we're TALL and IMPORTANT, and your SHORT and WORTHLESS."

Zim began to tremble with anger. The Tallest just started laughing again, thinking it was all but a big joke to them. But it wasn't a joke at all for the small Irkin.

"..die...."

"What? Did you say something?" Purple said, still laughing, wiping a happy tear from his face.

"I said...."

The Tallest then looked down at Zim to see he had his metal legs suddenly switched to laser format.

"DIE!"

He fired his laser, aiming for both! Purple's shield fired up again, but with Red having no defence, slamed himself to the ground, the blast JUST going over him, and hitting the wall behind him! The blast left a large gapping hole. Red got himself up, looking back to see the damage.

"You got SOME guts just doing that." Red said towards Zim, in a evil, serious tone. "But it was a dumb move as well."

"Revive Rogue, or I'll fire again!" Zim warned, his laser ready for another go.

Red just glared at him, suddenly realizing he was actually becoming a real threat to him and Purple. Not saying anything, he just raised his hand, bringing up a small control panal, with a micophone on it. He quickly shouted a command into it.

"ALL SOLDIERS! CODE RED IN SECTOR F!! REPEAT! CODE RED!!"

"Code red??" Dib said.

It was Irkin soldier code for a direct enemy attack on the Tallest! Zim immediately went for another strike before the Tallest's command came after them. He went to aim, but the second he fired, his laser went astray. Confused, he looked around, and suddenly felt somethng under his feet. Before he could look down to see what it was, dozens of robotic metal ropes came shooting out from the walls, and under his feet, binding him and his metal legs, disabling him to move! At the same time, Dib and Gir were too caught by the hidden traps.

Red and Purple grined evily at Zim as he strugglied wildly to get free, but the bind was just too tight. Just then, Irkin soldiers came running into the room, lasers in hand.

"My Tallest! Are you alright?!" One soldier said.

Red pointed right towards Zim and the other two caught ones. "This TRAITOR has attempted to do harm to us! Take him and his partners away!"

"HEY! I'M NOT HIS PARTNER!!!" Dib shouted.

"WAIT! THE TALLEST LIE!" Zim said to the Irkins.

"Hey! That's Zim!" One of the soldiers pointed out.

"He's become a traitor?!" Another one said.

"LIES!!!" Zim shouted out.

"Take them all away!" Purple commanded.

Zim, Dib, and Gir were overcome by the numbers of Irkins. There wasn't anything they could as they were seized and brought out of the Tallest's room. Zim glared back at the tall ones. But then, his sight went to Rogue, still on the floor with no movement. He suddenly began to struggle, trying to break loose from the soldiers' grip.

"Rogue!" He shouted back.

"Quiet, traitor!" The soldier said, hitting Zim in the back of the head with the handle of his laser. Zim continued to look back until he couldn't see Rogue anymore.

The Tallest stood as they watched them disappear through the other hallway door. Red then glared down at the female Irkin. He leaned over, and picked her up by the scuff of her uniform.

"I knew it was a mistake to let her think on her own."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Purple asked.

Red let a cruel smile go across his face. "Why not? And I JUST happen to have the most perfect idea to FINALLY be rit of that ZIM, once and of all."

~ "LET GO OF ME! YOU HAVE IT ALL WRONG!" Zim shouted at the soldier in hold of him. The Dib was trying his best as well to break free. Gir started to sing some stupid sounding tune that was beginning to really annoy the Irkin soldiers.

"What is WITH this SIR!?" The soldier shouted out.

Zim, Dib, and Gir were taken out and down away from sector F, into another SMALLER sector towards the back of the Massive. Apond arriving, it was plain to see that the area must have been a older part of the ship, the metal of the walls and flooring had already begun to rust and rot abit. The place also was split into smaller rooms with little windows on each door to it.

The three were brought to the entrance of one of the rooms. The soldier holding on to Gir opened it, and gladly THRUW the robot right inside, having enough of his "singing". Zim and Dib then followed, being pushed in, and the door closing the minute they were all in. There was then the sound of the door being locked tight.

"HEY!" Zim shouted, getting up off the floor, and over to the door. He looked out the small window, the soldiers still there looking back at him. "You're ALL being FOOLED! The TALLEST! They-"

"The Almighty TALLEST will deal with you SOON, traitor." One soldier said with a cold look.

"We'll stay and guard them." Two of them said.

"And if they try ANTHING, we'll open fire." One of the two said.

They all nodded in agreement, and abunch went off, with just two now standing right by the door.

Inside, Zim grit down on his teeth and held back firing his laser. He didn't want to risk the possible reaction time of those soldiers and thier weapons.

The human boy was now pretty much worried out of his mind. This new problem, it was getting so there was one right after the other, and each one was getting wrost! But one other thing was still on his mind....that one quick moment he saw with Zim and Rogue. That alone was still haunting him. Thinking on the matter that was at hand, he thought that maybe he could STILL get out of all this if he got some answers from his alien rival over by the door.

Dib looked over towards Zim, who was now kneeling on the floor, head down, in a defeated like position. With Rogue not around at the moment, he didn't hesitate to speak.

"Zim? Is what your doing REALLY making you....well, ya know...a traitor to your own kind?"

The Irkin slowly turned his head towards him. There was poor lighting in the room, making it hard to really see his face. ".....What is it to you, DIB worm?"

Dib thought for a moment to that question. "..I was just..uh...thinking. Those TALLEST, the way thier "ruling", it really isn't fair." He stopped in noticing what he was saying. 'Geez, that almost sounded like I was siding with him or something! I better change the subject.'

"....Uh, you know, What I saw back there, with you and ROGUE? I was wondering if-"

Dib suddenly stopped his words. He began to hear the sound of something dripping onto the floor. Gir also heard it, and started to make his way to his Master. The little robot turned on his eye lights, revealing to the human that Zim had tears in his eyes again.

"Awww, Master is leaking again." Gir said sweetly.

"NO I'M NOT GIR!" Zim suddenly snapped. The SIR scaredly stepped back, and then ran over behind Dib. Zim stood up, quickly wiping the tears away. "Invaders are too powerful to "leak"!"

The way he said that, Dib could tell that the alien was abit in denial with himself. "But...that's JUST what your doing." He said with flaten eyes. Zim just looked back at him, trembling all over for one reason or another. "It's because of Rogue, right?" Dib asked.

Zim lowered his head once more, thinking of the Tallest, and of Rogue, the vision of her lifeless looking body when he was dragged away from her, he wasn't sure if he should be acting like this. It was SO new to him. Even the fact of knowing that Rogue wasn't dead, wasn't easing any of what he was going though.

"What's the big deal? Am I right about Rogue or what?" Dib spoke up, waiting for a answer.

Zim looked back up, his eyes full of tears once again. The "leaking" wouldn't stop. They slid down his face in droplets, hitting the floor in waterdrop sounds. "....What...in the name of IRK....am I feeling?"

"What??" Feeling?" Dib said shockingly. "You don't even KNOW?"

Gir peeked around behind the human boy,a sad look on his robotic face. "Master misses Rogue......Master..LOVES Rogue."

"LOVE?!" Zim's head perked up quickly. His eyes wide, but still teary abit.

"Your race doesn't even know what that is??" Dib asked, still not quite believing it himself.

"OF COURSE WE KNOW WHAT THAT IS!!" Zim shouted. "It's what OTHER races call "affection"."

"OTHER races?" Dib said with a raised eyebrow.

"Irkins have NO NEED for such a DUMB emotion." Zim said crossing his arms.

Dib then couldn't help but think about that. "....Then....HOW do you...?"

"We GROW in TUBES, you STUIPD EARTH PUKE!!" Zim answered. "We COULD do it the way YOUR DISGUSTING kind do it, but OUR way is quicker."

"HEY, IT'S NOT DISGUSTING!" Dib shouted back. (Oh MAN! ^-^)

"WOOOO WHOOOOO!!!" Gir suddenly cooded. "MASTER'S BACK TO GRUMPY OLD SELF!" He ran right over to Zim, and "clinged" himself to him. "But YOOOOU STILL LIKEY ROGUE!" The SIR called out.

"I DON'T "LOVE" ROGUE GIR!!" The Irkin shouted, trying to get the lovable robot off his person. At the same time, Zim's face blushed forth red.(^-^ Hee Hee)

"YES YOU DO!" Gir said happyly. "YOUDOYOUDOYOUDOYOUDOOOOOOO!!!"

"GET OFF ME GIR!!!"

As this continued, Dib just stood and watched, and then suddenly began to brust out laughing at such a sight. He wished he had a camera on him right now.

~Meanwhile, outside the Massive and on Irkin soil, and not far from the ship itself, stood a large building structure which was home to the Irkin Empire's most trusted and smartest researchers. Inside, they work day and night on anything from weapons to whatever.

At the every top of the building was where the most top secret things were tested and stored. Inside, a few Irkin researchers were working and\or checking on different projects and what not. Suddenly, the only door leading to the outside of the room opened, and the Tallest came hovering in. The researchers immediately stopped at what he or she was doing to greet thier leaders.

One researcher walked up to them, an older looking Irkin, dressed in a white lab like coat, abit of the nervose type. "Oh, my..my Tallest! What a honor to have you both here! What can we do for you, your Almightlyness."

Red, who had his hands behind his back, then brought out a still "lifeless" Rogue for the researchers to see. There was a small round of small grasps and looks with this, as the Irkins already knew who Red was holding.

"Rogue! What happened my lords?" The Irkin researcher asked. He took the female fighting one away from Red, in a gentle like manner, and carefully started to look her over. "She's been shut off. But-"

"There was no other way." Red said.

"Yeah, she tried to kill us." Purple then added.

"What!" The researcher grasped. "But how?! She was made to-"

"She was "tricked" into turning againest us by a unexpected source." Red said. "A traitor in our very race."

"We what to "reprogram" her, so it doesn't happen again." Purple said.

"Reprogram? But my Tallest, she was created to have no such work done to-"

"Are YOU questioning us?" Purple said with a glare.

The Irkin nervously swallowed. "...I'm...I'm sorry my Tallest! No, I would never do that! If that is what you wish, then it'll be done!"

"Good." Purple said with a smile.

"We also want to stay the whole time of her reprograming, to make sure it all turns out the way we want it." Red said.

"Of course my lords." The researcher said. "The equipment we'll need is right over here." He began to walk over to that area, with the Tallest following closely, and with grins on both of thier faces.

~Back in the locked room, Gir has finally let go of Zim, and was now sitting on the floor right next to him, whispering "youdoyoudoyoudooooo!" (^-^) Dib had just finshed laughing to the whole thing,and was now sitting on the floor as well. And Zim, was now as red as a over ripen beet.

"PLEASE stop that whispering, GIR! I can HEAR you." The Irkin said faced away.

The little SIR stopped, but just couldn't stop smiling at the thought of his Master and Rogue. The quiet didn't last long of course.

"Master? Are you gonna save ROGUE?" He asked all so sweetly.

"...Yes Gir." Zim answered, making sure he didn't see his already red face.

"And WHHHHHYYYYY???" The robot said, sticking on the "HHHHHYYYYY" part. It didn't take long for it to get to Zim.

"Because...." Zim said with grited teeth, too embarrassed already with his little self revelation to this new matter.

"BECAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUSSSSSSSEEEEE......?" Gir said all lenghtly like.

Zim bit his bottom lip. "......ALRIGHT! BECAUSE I LIKE HER!" He shouted out.

"You LOVE HER!" Gir corrected cutely.

"(Grrrrrrrrr).......i love her..." Zim said quietly.

"Hmmmmmmm......GOOD ENOUGH!!" Gir cheered. The SIR then hopped up and began to dance his little monkey dance around his Master. "YOOOOU SAID IT! YOOOOU SAID IT!"

"HEY! What's going on in there?" One of the soldiers from outside asked, looking through the hole in the door.

Gir just stopped and give a innocent look. "Nuuuuuuthing."

The soldier shot a glare. "...It BETTER be nothing." He then went back to guarding.

"I guess we better keep it down for now." Dib said getting up off the floor. Not really thinking, he walked over to Zim. The Irkin was now rubbing his face, thinking it will make the "red" go away.

"I still can't believe that your kind doesn't even KNOW what "that feeling" is like." The boy said, snickering a bit after saying it. "I mean, what did you THINK it was?"

"I don't know, some kind of SICKNESS or something." Zim said flatly. His eyes then perked. "....Rogue was like this soon after we meet, a short while after she tried to kill me. ....So that's what was wrong with her."

"She was liking you before you did?" Dib asked.

"She didn't know what it was either." Zim answered. "I can't say if her knows now, but-"

"She KNOWS!" Gir said perky like. "I tolded her."

"What?" Zim said to his robot. "YOU knew all along what this was?!" Gir quickly nodded his head a "yes". "How?"

"TV!!" The SIR said.

There was short silence following Gir's answer, and then a round of looks to each other.

"...I guess that makes sence." Dib said.

"So, it's now all clear to me." Zim said in a little seriose tone. "And those Tallest....saying those things about Rogue."

"What things?" Dib said. "You mean the part about her being just a mindless robot?"

"Yes, that!" Zim said, getting up. "Even if it is true, I DON'T believe she's JUST some....some THING they made so she could do thier evil biddings!"

"But Zim..." Dib said, thinking again. "...They said her brain is MOSTLY made of robotics parts. So, in a sence, that would make her-"

"SHE'S NOT SOME SLAVING ROBOT!!" Zim shouted out. "She just CAN'T be defined as that! The way she acts...the way she speaks....she's too real to be a robot, too real to be a puppet for those MONSTERS! It's not right!"

"...Woah....." Dib never thought he would hear Zim being so..so serious sounding.

~Back over at the Research Buliding....

"Everything is ready is go." One of the researching Irkins called out.

In a corner of the room stood a large peice of machinery, normaly used to boot up weapons or to reprogram SIR units. On the table part of the device, with wires and other metal looking things attacted to her cybrog arms and front and back of her head, Rogue laid motionless. Nearby, Red and Purple were ready to keep an eye the reprograming process. There were about four or five different researchers at controls, with the older Irkin that greeted the Tallest earlier at the main controls.

"Alright...start the process." The main operator announced.

With that, the Irkins began pushing buttons and putting levers, humming noises began to come from the machine.

"How long will this all take?" Red asked the older Irkin.

"We estimated about a half hour, my Tallest." He answered.

'Perfect.' Red thought. 'After this, we'll then take the Massive out in orbit, just incase things start to get really ugly. We don't want Rogue to damage our planet while she's doing her job.' He gave a smrik at his thought.

Ten minutes into the reprograming, while working the main controls, the older Irkin researcher was minding on Rogue brain waves, both organic and robotic, on a small screen on his panal. It was for monitering her stats during the process. Suddenly, something on the screen caught his eye. Not saying anything, he noticed a patten forming in both the wavelenghs.

'What is this?' He thought.

The patten was something he has seem before, but he didn't accpect to see it with Rogue. He looked towards her on the table. She wasn't moving to this reaction.

'She's trying to RESIST the reprograming!' The old Irkin thought about this. 'She doing this againest her will!' He looked at the Tallest, who were smiling away during the whole thing. 'But...why?'

"My...my lords? May I ask one thing?" The Irkin said. The Tallest looked down at him. "By chance, did Rogue herself wanted to go though this?"

"That isn't any of your concern." Purple said.

'What!?' He thought. 'How could he say that?! Rogue was made with the works of a powerful robotic fighter, but the will of any other living creature. Could they have...forced her into this!?' He wasn't sure if he should mention the wave reading to them or his other researchers. He knew as well as anyone that questioning the Tallest is down right wrong, and could lead to anything. Anything BAD that is. Still feeling uneasy about it, he continued to watch the readings and the process, in fear of the leaders standing close to him.

One other Irkin next to him suddenly noticed his follow researcher's strong worried look on his face. Leaning over, he asked in his unseeable ear, "Mork, is something wrong?"

The old Irkin didn't answer. He heard him, but was too in thought towards the situation.

'.....I've got a bad feeling about this now.' Mork thought.

~~~~~~~~~~

~"How long have we been in here now?" Dib suddenly asked, after a period of dead quiet in the locked up room.

"Quiet!" Zim just said.

"What I say now?!"

"No, not that! Listen." Zim said, hearing for something.

Dib cupped his hands over ears, and began to hear a low humming sound. It was coming from all around. "What's that?"

"If I didn't know any better, and I DO, it's the sound of the ship getting ready to take off!" Zim said.

"TAKE OFF?!" Dib said surprised.

"I don't know why, but that's what's happening." Zim said. "What are the TALLEST up to?"

Just then, a soldier from earlier came walking up to the two other ones outside the door.

"I have direct orders from the Tallest." He said to them. "They wish that the traitor and the other two are send to the upper part of the ship."

"You mean that big empty part?" One asked. "Why? Thats just extra space incase of adding on to the Massive."

"Are they going to be judged there are something?" The other asked.

"I'm not sure." The messenger said. "But it's a DIRECT ORDER. So move it!"

"Right!" They both said.

The door was unlocked, and the Irkin soldiers took hold of Zim, Dib, and Gir once more and began to bring them to the upper section of the ship. It's abit a long walk to there.

'Why at part of the ship?' Zim thought. 'They have SOMETHING going on here. ....I hope Rogue's okay....'

'This is looking REALLY bad now!' Dib thought. 'If ANY chances come up, I've GOT TO GET OUT OF HERE!'

'Ooooooo, this place smells like year old TUNA!' Gir thought. (^-^)

The three were then brought to the upper area. It was HUGE, but like the guy said before, it was just empty space. Although, there WAS a rather big window showing the outside of space. It spread all around the room. The soldiers just left Zim and them in the place, alone.

"MAN! This place is big enough to fit the whole skool!" Dib said, looking all the way up. The ceiling was tall too. Gir started to run all around, the extra space was just psyching him up. Zim on the other hand, was scanning the room for anything "werid".

"All this room..." Zim said to himself. "...there has to be a reason."

Suddenly, the sound of a metal door from the far side of the area opened, and "someone" came walking in.

"Who's there!?" Zim immediately said. The figure slowly walked closer to the three, it's identity becoming clearer the more it got to them. It didn't take long until they knew who it was.

"HI ROGUE!" Gir said, waving.

"Hey, she's alright!" Dib said.

Zim didn't say anything at first. He wasn't quite sure how to act. "....Rogue..."

The female Irkin then spoke one word as well. "....Zim.."

Zim began to get closer to her. His face then turned red, again. At least this time he knew why. Rogue just stood there, her face was lowered down, her chin touching her chest.

"Rogue? Are...are you alright? Did the Tallest do anything to you? .....Rogue? What's wrong? Why don't you look at me?" Zim stepped a few inches closer, trying to see what was wrong. But the moment he did, he started to hear a humming noise. It was all too famlilar.

"Zim! Her arm!" Dib suddenly called out.

The Irkin looked down, and the second he did, Rogue raised her laser, firing towards him! Zim bearly had enough time as he fell right to the floor, the beam just missing him. Rogue then did nothing but stand there.

"...Rogue? Why did you do that! Tell me!" Zim said from the ground.

Rogue went closer, until face was clearly visable to Zim. Her eyes have now become even more sharp, a pure evil seem to flow from them. And her face alone was just.....cold. She didn't even look like this the first time Zim and her met.

"Rogue....." Zim was stuned by her look. "What have they....?"

"Traitor to the Tallest." She said, her voice as feelingless as her eyes. "And others that oppose....by order of the Almighty Ones....you all must die."

TO BE CONTINUED..................

RogueStar: Uh oh....it's not looking all too good right at the moment for the small green one, uh? I hope that by reading THIS chapter, some other new readers will tell me what they think of this whole story. That one character, the one called "Mork", the reason I gave him a name is that, well, I'm thinking of using him in *future* storys. (wink wink!) You'll see! The next chapter is going to be SOMETHING, so to thoughs who are still reading (Yo pV!), stay turn for chapter 19, at some point in the future! Later!! ^.~