Chapter Three: Warring Species
Gretchen had been living on Fali for about twelve years now, and was now twenty-four Earth years old. Her son, who she named after Dib, was currently reading about how Earth used to be from a Falish book. She now was of average height, her purple hair had grown out long, and she no longer required braces. Young Dib looked the perfect image of his father, with black hair that spiked backward, a pair of glasses, and the same brown eyes. He wore a black shirt and a dark green overcoat along with black pants and boots.
"Mom?" he asked. "Why didn't Dad survive the invasion like you did?"
"At the time of the invasion," she began, "he was here on Fali. I remembered what he had said in class about the coming of the Irkens and ran out to hide in the forest. I found a cave by a small stream, and that's where the Falish officials picked me up, saying that my survival was important. So, they saved me from there just before it was blown up."
"Then wouldn't be still be here, safe?"
"No. After the planet was ruined and very few were left, he went back to save the girl that he went to the dance with. That's when the military from the Falish, Seraul, and Irkens found him in the cave with her. She killed him, and they still don't understand why."
"Why would someone do that?"
"Obviously his precious little girlfriend has some kind of twisted, deranged mind. She stabbed him three times. 'Once to get the job done, then twice more just for fun,' goes the old saying."
"Wait, has? She's not still alive, is she?"
"We don't know. A defective Irken saved her from them."
"What is his name?"
"Zim. The new ruler of planet Earth."
"I swear, if I ever got my hands on that girl and that Zim, I'd...I'd kill them!"
"Me too. Me too, son."
-Planet Earth: Friday-
Mel woke up feeling dizzy, and wondered at the cause. She sought Zim's sleeping quarters and gently nudged him, trying to see if he would get up. "Zim," she whispered, "get up. I think you should know something." He continued to snore, and she shook him harder. "Zim, get up! Get up!" Nothing. "Fine. I guess I'll have to do this the hard way." Retrieving a wet washcloth, she wrung it out over him. A sizzling was heard, and he awoke screaming.
"What on Earth was that for?!"
"You sleep like a rock, Zim. I wouldn't be surprised if the planet blew up and you never even noticed."
"I'm awake now. Why did you disturb the mighty Zim's slumber?" he asked irritably.
"Young Kiana. She's going to be in danger."
"How would you know?"
"Well, I have had a knack for knowing this kind of thing. Please, give her the Lizaq now."
"No! My eleven-year-old daughter is not going to be carrying around an ika's death toy!"
"What was that you said, Zim?"
"Uh...nothing."
"I heard it, Zim. You referred to the Lizaq knife as an ika's death toy! What do you know about the Lizaq?!"
"It's not anything about the Lizaq...it's about you."
"Elaborate."
"You associate with the Falish as though you were one of them!"
"So what? You associate with us humans as though you were one of us!"
"The Falish...they're a different story. I told you long ago that the males prey on the females, right?"
"Yeah. I looked that up. It's a rare practice that is almost nonexistent now."
"That's just propaganda! Anyway, the Falish have a habit of killing those they love. You're a Falish monster. I've only been able to stand being around you for this much because you annihilated the Dib, but you're growing attached to me. You've a sick mind, and you only say that you were trying to ease his pain as an excuse so you don't have to admit to yourself the horror you've committed! You horrible ika! Stay away from me and stay away from my Kiana!"
"No, wait, Zim, you don't understand, I...you see, the reason I killed him...he asked me to! You told me to! You both wanted me to kill him! I was just following your instructions!"
"Don't try to deny it, ika. You may be human on the outside, but you're just as twisted as them on the inside. I can't believe I once deemed you as worthy to be an invader!"
"Zim, I--"
"Admit it! They would've killed you if you hadn't shocked them by killing him! His death was just a diversion so you could get away!"
"You couldn't have it more wrong!"
"And cancel that date-thing you set up! I would never even
consider any ika filth you chose for me!"
"I deny your accusations!"
"I'll have security come and pick you up. I'll have them kill you, traitor. That is what you are, of course. You stabbed your best friend in the back by putting a blade through his heart."
"Then fine. It'll put an end to my suffering. Or extend it. Either way. Whatever I deserve, I deserve."
"Face it however you like! Your death draws near, but I think I'll give the pleasure of destroying this ika filth to myself."
"Then go ahead and do it! Don't prolong my existence if I'm just going to end up being shot anyway! But I think it is only right of me to remind you something, just in case you fall into the same trap I did. If you killed me, you'd be doing the same thing I did. You'd be killing your best friend. Stabbing me in the back."
"No ika has the title of being my friend."
"I can't let you do this to yourself. I can't let you kill me and live with it for the rest of your life. I must kill you. It will worsen my pain and lessen yours. I'm taking a bullet for you Zim, though you may not comprehend it now. As you should know by now, it gives me no pleasure to kill. Only sadness. Now, give me the Lizaq, before I take it from you."
"You can't take it from me. It's in my PAK, and that in itself is a complete arsenal." She concentrated hard, and soon the Lizaq knife materialized in her hand. "How did you do that?"
"I'm a Kivoc, remember, Zim? A Kivoc, a hated monster, a killer. An ika, as you put it. Whatever you call it, that's what I am. And I've got to stop your daughter from taking this path. It would ruin her forever. These powers are what I've desired much of my life. They've just turned on me. I'm confined to misery because of it. You and your daughter cannot live like that, and Dib's son cannot either. I may never be acknowledged for it, but I'm saving your lives."
"I just have to call security, and they'll kill you on the spot!"
"No one's coming. You're not doing anything." She lunged, pinning him to his bed. Unsheathing the Lizaq, she pressed it against his neck, and he made squealing noises protesting against it.
"Please! Don't do it! You were such a sweet girl! Do you think Dib would like that you're doing this? Taking this road to being some sort of homicidal maniac? Don't do it! Please! I'm sorry that I called you an ika! I know you don't kill for pleasure! You're just misguided! I can help you!"
"You won't help me. You aren't that kind of person. You'd have me executed, or worse--locked up. I'm not going to have that happen. It cannot happen."
"Don't do this! You said yourself that killing causes more misery and pain!"
"I know that. I'm already gone."
"No, you're not! Don't kill me! I won't hurt you. I swear on the Tallest that I am being truthful."
"I can't release you. Your life must be ended. It is because of you that Dib is dead! You sought to destroy this planet!"
"You can't place me to blame entirely! You could blame the Irken race for existing, or you could blame space travel for allowing me to come here! You could say that it's the fault of Riva for keeping Dib on Earth! He'd be alive if it weren't for that, wouldn't he? But this is all out of our control! The fact is that he's dead! You just have to accept it!"
"I know, but...it's so hard. To think that he died because of me...I can't imagine it."
"So you've found yourself a scapegoat?"
"I guess you could put it that way."
"Do you want to put the knife down, now?"
"No, of course not."
"Why?"
"I just want to draw a little blood. As a warning."
"Are you sure about that?"
"No, I'm just joking. Really, though, it is a nice change in pace where you're completely helpless. I like it. Now, compliment me."
"Uh...you look...nice."
"Why, thank you, Zim. How very touching. Now, do a happy dance."
"I will not!"
"Oh, I think you will."
"Oh...okay."
"I'm kidding about that too. Let's eat breakfast."
"Wait, didn't you just say that Kiana's life is in danger?"
"I forgot all about that!" They darted into her room, but nothing was wrong. Mel woke her up, and the little girl yawned.
"Is it time for my Invader's Training yet?"
"No. Not yet."
"I'm scared."
"Why are you scared?"
"I saw something in my dreams. There was this boy, and Dad referred to him as some name I can't remember. He was killed, and you were crying over him. I felt a strange sadness, too. Do you have a son?"
"No. But I know a friend that has a son."
"Is this friend the one you killed?"
"Kiana, how do you know I killed my friend? Did you hear one of us talk about it?"
"No. I just knew. You've been fretting about it since you got here."
"To answer your question, yes. I killed Dib."
"Dib...that was his name!"
"Could you have seen the cave incident in your dream?"
"Maybe...it sure wasn't on Fali."
"Maybe it was Dib's son you saw in your dream."
"No! You called him Dib, and Dad called him...I don't remember...Cah, or something."
"Ika!" Zim slapped a hand over Mel's mouth.
"Don't speak in front of my daughter with that language!"
"But Zim, you say it! Why can't I?"
"Let's just say that it's about the equivalent of the 'f' word to you humans."
"Uh...sorry."
Young Kiana looked up at Zim. She said, "What does 'ika' mean?"
"Now look what you've done!" Mel chuckled nervously. "You see, Young Kiana, that word means...well...it's a very bad word."
"Bad? Okay, then my vegetables are ika! Except for that one puffy thing. I like that."
"No! I mean that...it means..."
"Don't worry, Dad, I'm just kidding around with you. I know what ika means."
"YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS AND YET YOU STILL USE IT?!"
"Uh-huh. But don't refer to my future friend in that way, please."
"What are you talking about?"
"Dib--the kid from my dream--is
going to be my friend in the future."
"Not that ika! Kiana, you're too good for him!"
"And she isn't?"
"That's different! You're my daughter, and you're not going to associate with that ika filth!"
"You seem to use that word pretty comfortably around me now, father."
"That's because I'm mad!"
"Really? We should get you fitted for a straightjacket, then."
"Don't speak to me in such a way!"
"Okay. I won't. Sorry." Zim picked her up and hugged her; Mel felt out of place and wanted to hug that young Irken like she was her own child. Young Kiana quickly ate breakfast and went into her room.
"Mel, I'm afraid you'll have to leave."
"What?"
"You can't stay here. They're passing a law where anyone who isn't Irken can't stay on the planet."
"Oh...what about..." she looked around to see if Young Kiana was there, "...hybrids?"
"Just pure Irkens will be allowed."
"What about Young Kiana? She looks Irken enough."
"No...they do a bio-scan. Even if there's just one non-Irken from several generations back, you're thrown off of the planet."
"Then we'll both be leaving?"
"I'm afraid so. I can't leave, though, even if I wanted to. I'm stuck here on planet Earth as ruler."
"So..."
"Take good care of my daughter."
"When do we leave?"
"They'll be here any minute to do an inspection. You must go to Seraul."
"What? Seraul? Heck, no! I'm going to Fali! Your daughter will be safer there!"
"No, she won't! Fine, then! If you insist on going to Fali, you won't have custody of her! She'll go to Seraul on her own!"
"Can she fly a Voot?"
"Better than you. She's a natural. It's in her blood."
"And it's in MY blood to kick your--hey, what's that noise?"
"I...I don't know. It's probably the Irken officials! They'll kill me if they find out that I have a daughter with human blood!"
"You'll just have to TRUST me, Zim. Please! Planet Seraul is a planet of assassins! Just trust me on this one, Zim. Please. Your daughter depends on it! This universe depends on it!"
"All right, take her to that filthy ika planet of yours."
"Good! Kiana! Young Kiana! We must leave! Now!"
"I'm in the Voot hangar!"
"We must go! Goodbye, Zim. Be sure to keep in touch with me, or I'll cut out your filthy insides!"
"Goodbye, Mel! May your pitiful human guts explode!"
"I'll remember that!" She met Young Kiana in the Voot hangar and she flew the ship out on a path towards Fali.