The Sleep Factor
SUMMARY: Dib finds something about his alien abductions...but when he does find out the truth, can he handle it? It involves an alien world; it's sci- fi, humor, and action/adventure--what more you ask for?
Author's Note: This is kinda like a remake of 'The Ability', except that there's no romance, (YAY!) it's an SI, and it's going to be better, with more content and an easier-to-follow story. Also, the book 'Dune,' by Frank Herbert, inspired some of this story.
Um...it's long, but it's worth it...I hope.
Chapter One: Emergency Room
Ms. Bitters's class was unusually silent as the children got into their seats. Dib was sitting and watching the clock, trying to picture Zim on an autopsy table. As he got to these pleasant thoughts, however, the bell rang. Ms. Bitters began her lecture on how in a million years pigs will fly and explode, spreading horrible plagues around the world. She was soon interrupted by the crashing open of the door, where a girl now stood.
The girl was about 5'8", had shoulder length brown hair, wore a pair of glasses with oval frames, and had gray-brown eyes. She wore a black, long-sleeve shirt with Dib, Zim, Gaz, and Ms. Bitters on it, along with a pair of black slacks and white tennis shoes. To top it all off, she wore a silver coat that shimmered in the light. It was clear that she didn't get outside much, for she didn't have much of a tan.
"Class, this is another horribly pathetic student who has apparently come to join us. Now, whoever you are, sit down!"
"Don't I get to at least say my name?"
"No. Now sit down!" She shrugged and sat in the now-empty seat to Dib's right. When she noticed he was looking at her, she smiled. He smiled nervously, and then straightened in his seat. The girl laughed a little to herself about his behavior, for he seemed to be acting oddly.
During silent reading, she picked up her purse, opened it up, and carefully placed each of the books inside onto her desk, seven in all. This was unusual to Dib, mainly because most of the children at skool hated reading and only brought in little kindergarten books to read, both because of skill level and short length. Even more curious to him was her choice in material: Alien Update, Ruins (an X-files book), Abduction: Human Encounters With Aliens, UFO Crash at Roswell, The Day After Roswell, Dune (by Frank Herbert), and Intruders: The Incredible Visitations at Copley Woods. (Note: These are actual titles; I do not own the books themselves as in copyrights, but those are the seven books I carry around with me. Please don't sue me; I'm vital for...stuff.)
Noticing Dib's intrigue, the girl pointed to Alien Update and mouthed out: "You like this?" He nodded his head, and she handed him the book. She herself picked out Abduction: Human Encounters With Aliens, and read until recess. When at last the time came, she turned to Dib.
"Do you want to borrow it?"
"Huh? Oh, sure. Thanks." As he walked to the playground area, still reading, she walked alongside him. Looking up from the book, he noticed her presence. "Why are you following me?"
"I just thought you might be curious and ask more questions."
"Questions? What kind of questions?"
"Well, you were staring at me in class; you must find something about me to be questionable."
"Okay, um...what's your name?"
"Mel. And yours...?"
"Dib."
"Anything else?"
"You're interested in UFO's?"
"Yes. I was abducted by aliens at ages 11.85 and around eight years before then, too. And when you're being taken aboard against your will by creatures from another planet, it's always good to do a little research. Any more questions for me?"
"Uh...See that green kid over there?"
"Oh, you mean the alien?"
"Yeah, his name is Zim, and--you know he's an alien?"
"Of course."
"Wow! And... why am I on your shirt?"
"Hmm...that's a mystery," the girl lied. "I guess the question I have to ask you now is why am I on YOUR shirt?"
"But...you're not on my shirt."
"Exactly."
"Uh..."
"So, what's it like being the only person who knows that there's an alien in your class?"
"You know he's an alien."
"Well, yes, but I mean before I came into class."
"Frustrating."
"Ah, yes, the frustration of being frustrated. Have you ever gotten so frustrated that you nearly hurled a desk at someone's head?"
"Not really..."
"Hee, hee... that was funny."
"You've actually done it?" No response. He noticed she was suddenly getting pale, and was transfixed in a blank stare. Her eyes opened wider, as though in fear, and she began to shake like being in a cold climate where snow was prevalent. "Mel? Mel, what's wrong? Mel!" Pain shot up through her left arm, and she clutched it with her right hand. She cried out. At this point, Dib was worried. Something was definitely wrong here, very, very wrong.
He noticed that she was falling backward, and tried to catch her, but she struggled against him. Finally, she broke away from him, gasped in terror, and fell backward. Several kids laughed, making jokes about it. Dib, on the other hand, panicked. He'd never seen anything like that, and he checked her pulse. It seemed a little slower, and her face was as white as a ghost.
"Somebody! Get an adult here! Get the paramedics! Quickly!" No one responded, and he decided to take matters into his own hands. Making his way to the popular girls' table, he stole one of their cell phones and dialed 9-1-1. "Hello? I'm at skool, S-K-O-O-L. A girl has just had a seizure or something, and she needs help! Hurry!" Forgetting that it wasn't his phone, he dropped it to the ground and ran back to where Mel lay. She was still unconscious.
Paramedics arrived shortly, and tried to revive her. Within a couple minutes, she awoke, and stood up. Immediately, she toppled back to the ground. "Dib? Is that you?"
"Yeah, yeah. It's me."
"W-what happened?"
"From what they've told me so far, it seems like you had a seizure. Has this ever happened before?"
"Yes. Quite a bit. Where is everybody?"
"They've gone inside. Recess has been over for three minutes."
"I've been out that long?" He nodded. "Usually it doesn't last that long, or so I've been told..."
"They're going to get you to the hospital. Are you okay with that?" Mel gulped, and shook her head no. "Why not?"
"I-I can't."
"Why not?"
"I...I just can't."
"Don't worry; I'll go with you. Nothing's going to happen to you." One of the paramedics said something inaudible. "What? I can't go in the emergency room with her? Why not?"
"Only family's allowed," he said.
"Oh, well...I am family. I'm her...brother," he lied.
"Well, then, okay."
"See? I'm going to go with you. It'll be okay. Please? It's for your health."
"All right, I'll go." They helped her onto the stretcher, and carted her into the ambulance. Mel suspiciously eyed every medical tool they handled, questioning it. "What's that?!"
"They're just going to measure your blood oxygen," Dib said.
"No needle! No needle!"
"There isn't a needle. It just fits over your finger. See?" He put it on his own finger first, and then handed it to one of the paramedics. "It doesn't hurt."
"Okay." She sighed, trying to relax. Once in the hospital, she became frantic once more. The nurse walked in.
"Okay, now we have to get you into the hospital gown. I'm sure you won't mind your brother being in here while you change." Knowing that he wasn't really her brother, she turned deep red as the nurse started to get her coat off and began to remove her shirt. It dawned on Dib at that moment, and he went behind the curtain. The nurse summoned him back inside when she was changed, and he saw that she was nearly in tears.
"What's wrong?"
"You've got to get me out of here. Please, get me out of here!" She shook him by the coat, terrified.
"They're going to help you. Don't worry."
"I'm fine! I'm fine, I tell you, just weak! I'll be okay!"
"You aren't fine! You were shaking, you went pale, you screamed out in pain, and when I tried to help you so you wouldn't fall, you fought me and hit your head on the pavement! You're lucky you don't need stitches!"
"I...I guess you're right." The nurse walked back in, preparing some needles. "Ahh! Get me away from that! No needles! I can't...I can't..." She struggled, but gave up after a minute or so.
"They're just going to draw some blood. It hardly hurts."
"The left arm! If you're going to take it from me, the left arm!" The nurse found a vein line in her left arm, and got ready to insert the needle.
"Squeeze my hand." Mel didn't squeeze his hand, but instead closed her eyes. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay." She felt the needle puncture, and she opened one eye. "See? It doesn't hurt." At long last, they removed the needle and left.
"I'm scared."
"Don't be. Look, it might be awhile, so do you want to read while we wait?"
"Sure. Thanks." He handed her back Alien Update, and she read for about half an hour before the doctor came back. She then had an EKG on the heart, which involved electrodes, and then was taken to get a CAT scan. Mel was set in a wheelchair and taken outside. They then went up an elevator- type platform to a truck where the device was kept. She was instructed to keep as still as possible and she closed her eyes. The sensation of floating overcame her as the table she was on slowly moved backward, and she enjoyed it in spite of the noise. When she was brought back to the wheelchair, Dib talked of the monitor's readings.
"You're brain looked cool."
"Um...thanks...I guess." Soon enough, she was back in the bed she was in, and got another opportunity to read. After an hour or so, she grew tired and set the book down. "So, why don't you tell me what you know about Zim so far?"
"Okay!" He looked as excited as a small child about to receive some ice cream. "First, let me tell you about his base..." She listened to this for a couple hours, until finally she was allowed to go.
"It's 3:45 already?" she asked. Dib nodded. "Boy, time sure flies. Skool is closed right now, isn't it?"
"Yeah. We'll have to notify them why we were gone the whole day."
"Better get the doctor's signature."
"Good thinking." They got the signature along with a note, and Mel officially was released. "Can we borrow this wheelchair? I don't want her to faint on the way back."
"Of course. Just return it in a week, or you'll have to pay for it, and wheelchairs ain't cheap."
"We'll keep that in mind." Dib helped her in and walked her outside. "Where's your house?"
"I don't know...I just moved in, and I don't know where anything is in relation to it."
"Do you know the street?"
"I can't remember..."
"That's a problem."
"I'm really thirsty."
"My house is close by. You can have something to drink there."
"Okay. Thanks."
When people meet, often no one can tell what they will discover as friends. It is unpredictable how their lives will be affected, and it is often frightening how quickly a clear sky can turn into a gray storm cloud and the course of someone's life may be drastically changed.
Life is undoubtedly an unpredictable mechanism.
--Invader Mel's Diary of Perception.
Note: I know that in real life they wouldn't have released Mel without a parent, but it's a fanfic, so who cares?
SUMMARY: Dib finds something about his alien abductions...but when he does find out the truth, can he handle it? It involves an alien world; it's sci- fi, humor, and action/adventure--what more you ask for?
Author's Note: This is kinda like a remake of 'The Ability', except that there's no romance, (YAY!) it's an SI, and it's going to be better, with more content and an easier-to-follow story. Also, the book 'Dune,' by Frank Herbert, inspired some of this story.
Um...it's long, but it's worth it...I hope.
Chapter One: Emergency Room
Ms. Bitters's class was unusually silent as the children got into their seats. Dib was sitting and watching the clock, trying to picture Zim on an autopsy table. As he got to these pleasant thoughts, however, the bell rang. Ms. Bitters began her lecture on how in a million years pigs will fly and explode, spreading horrible plagues around the world. She was soon interrupted by the crashing open of the door, where a girl now stood.
The girl was about 5'8", had shoulder length brown hair, wore a pair of glasses with oval frames, and had gray-brown eyes. She wore a black, long-sleeve shirt with Dib, Zim, Gaz, and Ms. Bitters on it, along with a pair of black slacks and white tennis shoes. To top it all off, she wore a silver coat that shimmered in the light. It was clear that she didn't get outside much, for she didn't have much of a tan.
"Class, this is another horribly pathetic student who has apparently come to join us. Now, whoever you are, sit down!"
"Don't I get to at least say my name?"
"No. Now sit down!" She shrugged and sat in the now-empty seat to Dib's right. When she noticed he was looking at her, she smiled. He smiled nervously, and then straightened in his seat. The girl laughed a little to herself about his behavior, for he seemed to be acting oddly.
During silent reading, she picked up her purse, opened it up, and carefully placed each of the books inside onto her desk, seven in all. This was unusual to Dib, mainly because most of the children at skool hated reading and only brought in little kindergarten books to read, both because of skill level and short length. Even more curious to him was her choice in material: Alien Update, Ruins (an X-files book), Abduction: Human Encounters With Aliens, UFO Crash at Roswell, The Day After Roswell, Dune (by Frank Herbert), and Intruders: The Incredible Visitations at Copley Woods. (Note: These are actual titles; I do not own the books themselves as in copyrights, but those are the seven books I carry around with me. Please don't sue me; I'm vital for...stuff.)
Noticing Dib's intrigue, the girl pointed to Alien Update and mouthed out: "You like this?" He nodded his head, and she handed him the book. She herself picked out Abduction: Human Encounters With Aliens, and read until recess. When at last the time came, she turned to Dib.
"Do you want to borrow it?"
"Huh? Oh, sure. Thanks." As he walked to the playground area, still reading, she walked alongside him. Looking up from the book, he noticed her presence. "Why are you following me?"
"I just thought you might be curious and ask more questions."
"Questions? What kind of questions?"
"Well, you were staring at me in class; you must find something about me to be questionable."
"Okay, um...what's your name?"
"Mel. And yours...?"
"Dib."
"Anything else?"
"You're interested in UFO's?"
"Yes. I was abducted by aliens at ages 11.85 and around eight years before then, too. And when you're being taken aboard against your will by creatures from another planet, it's always good to do a little research. Any more questions for me?"
"Uh...See that green kid over there?"
"Oh, you mean the alien?"
"Yeah, his name is Zim, and--you know he's an alien?"
"Of course."
"Wow! And... why am I on your shirt?"
"Hmm...that's a mystery," the girl lied. "I guess the question I have to ask you now is why am I on YOUR shirt?"
"But...you're not on my shirt."
"Exactly."
"Uh..."
"So, what's it like being the only person who knows that there's an alien in your class?"
"You know he's an alien."
"Well, yes, but I mean before I came into class."
"Frustrating."
"Ah, yes, the frustration of being frustrated. Have you ever gotten so frustrated that you nearly hurled a desk at someone's head?"
"Not really..."
"Hee, hee... that was funny."
"You've actually done it?" No response. He noticed she was suddenly getting pale, and was transfixed in a blank stare. Her eyes opened wider, as though in fear, and she began to shake like being in a cold climate where snow was prevalent. "Mel? Mel, what's wrong? Mel!" Pain shot up through her left arm, and she clutched it with her right hand. She cried out. At this point, Dib was worried. Something was definitely wrong here, very, very wrong.
He noticed that she was falling backward, and tried to catch her, but she struggled against him. Finally, she broke away from him, gasped in terror, and fell backward. Several kids laughed, making jokes about it. Dib, on the other hand, panicked. He'd never seen anything like that, and he checked her pulse. It seemed a little slower, and her face was as white as a ghost.
"Somebody! Get an adult here! Get the paramedics! Quickly!" No one responded, and he decided to take matters into his own hands. Making his way to the popular girls' table, he stole one of their cell phones and dialed 9-1-1. "Hello? I'm at skool, S-K-O-O-L. A girl has just had a seizure or something, and she needs help! Hurry!" Forgetting that it wasn't his phone, he dropped it to the ground and ran back to where Mel lay. She was still unconscious.
Paramedics arrived shortly, and tried to revive her. Within a couple minutes, she awoke, and stood up. Immediately, she toppled back to the ground. "Dib? Is that you?"
"Yeah, yeah. It's me."
"W-what happened?"
"From what they've told me so far, it seems like you had a seizure. Has this ever happened before?"
"Yes. Quite a bit. Where is everybody?"
"They've gone inside. Recess has been over for three minutes."
"I've been out that long?" He nodded. "Usually it doesn't last that long, or so I've been told..."
"They're going to get you to the hospital. Are you okay with that?" Mel gulped, and shook her head no. "Why not?"
"I-I can't."
"Why not?"
"I...I just can't."
"Don't worry; I'll go with you. Nothing's going to happen to you." One of the paramedics said something inaudible. "What? I can't go in the emergency room with her? Why not?"
"Only family's allowed," he said.
"Oh, well...I am family. I'm her...brother," he lied.
"Well, then, okay."
"See? I'm going to go with you. It'll be okay. Please? It's for your health."
"All right, I'll go." They helped her onto the stretcher, and carted her into the ambulance. Mel suspiciously eyed every medical tool they handled, questioning it. "What's that?!"
"They're just going to measure your blood oxygen," Dib said.
"No needle! No needle!"
"There isn't a needle. It just fits over your finger. See?" He put it on his own finger first, and then handed it to one of the paramedics. "It doesn't hurt."
"Okay." She sighed, trying to relax. Once in the hospital, she became frantic once more. The nurse walked in.
"Okay, now we have to get you into the hospital gown. I'm sure you won't mind your brother being in here while you change." Knowing that he wasn't really her brother, she turned deep red as the nurse started to get her coat off and began to remove her shirt. It dawned on Dib at that moment, and he went behind the curtain. The nurse summoned him back inside when she was changed, and he saw that she was nearly in tears.
"What's wrong?"
"You've got to get me out of here. Please, get me out of here!" She shook him by the coat, terrified.
"They're going to help you. Don't worry."
"I'm fine! I'm fine, I tell you, just weak! I'll be okay!"
"You aren't fine! You were shaking, you went pale, you screamed out in pain, and when I tried to help you so you wouldn't fall, you fought me and hit your head on the pavement! You're lucky you don't need stitches!"
"I...I guess you're right." The nurse walked back in, preparing some needles. "Ahh! Get me away from that! No needles! I can't...I can't..." She struggled, but gave up after a minute or so.
"They're just going to draw some blood. It hardly hurts."
"The left arm! If you're going to take it from me, the left arm!" The nurse found a vein line in her left arm, and got ready to insert the needle.
"Squeeze my hand." Mel didn't squeeze his hand, but instead closed her eyes. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be okay." She felt the needle puncture, and she opened one eye. "See? It doesn't hurt." At long last, they removed the needle and left.
"I'm scared."
"Don't be. Look, it might be awhile, so do you want to read while we wait?"
"Sure. Thanks." He handed her back Alien Update, and she read for about half an hour before the doctor came back. She then had an EKG on the heart, which involved electrodes, and then was taken to get a CAT scan. Mel was set in a wheelchair and taken outside. They then went up an elevator- type platform to a truck where the device was kept. She was instructed to keep as still as possible and she closed her eyes. The sensation of floating overcame her as the table she was on slowly moved backward, and she enjoyed it in spite of the noise. When she was brought back to the wheelchair, Dib talked of the monitor's readings.
"You're brain looked cool."
"Um...thanks...I guess." Soon enough, she was back in the bed she was in, and got another opportunity to read. After an hour or so, she grew tired and set the book down. "So, why don't you tell me what you know about Zim so far?"
"Okay!" He looked as excited as a small child about to receive some ice cream. "First, let me tell you about his base..." She listened to this for a couple hours, until finally she was allowed to go.
"It's 3:45 already?" she asked. Dib nodded. "Boy, time sure flies. Skool is closed right now, isn't it?"
"Yeah. We'll have to notify them why we were gone the whole day."
"Better get the doctor's signature."
"Good thinking." They got the signature along with a note, and Mel officially was released. "Can we borrow this wheelchair? I don't want her to faint on the way back."
"Of course. Just return it in a week, or you'll have to pay for it, and wheelchairs ain't cheap."
"We'll keep that in mind." Dib helped her in and walked her outside. "Where's your house?"
"I don't know...I just moved in, and I don't know where anything is in relation to it."
"Do you know the street?"
"I can't remember..."
"That's a problem."
"I'm really thirsty."
"My house is close by. You can have something to drink there."
"Okay. Thanks."
When people meet, often no one can tell what they will discover as friends. It is unpredictable how their lives will be affected, and it is often frightening how quickly a clear sky can turn into a gray storm cloud and the course of someone's life may be drastically changed.
Life is undoubtedly an unpredictable mechanism.
--Invader Mel's Diary of Perception.
Note: I know that in real life they wouldn't have released Mel without a parent, but it's a fanfic, so who cares?