The Nightmare Before Tomorrow
By GS2aholic
Forfeit the game / Before somebody else
Takes you out of the frame /And puts your name to shame
Cover up your face / You can't run the race
The pace is too fast / You just won't last
~Linkin Park
"And so I'm here," Gaz concluded as she shifted positions for the fourth time that hour, her bandaged leg uncomforting her.
Zim had an unreadable expression as he stared at Gaz's mouth, watching every word form on her lips as she finished. The whole thing had lasted for little more than an hour, Zim interrupting to tell what happened when he last saw Dib. They both took turns on the shared dream, telling everything from what they saw and felt to what they did when they woke up.
"Amazing," Zim said finally. "It's amazing what you humans do for each other and how you hide everything."
Gaz laughed lightly. "It amazes me too sometimes. So, will you help me?"
"Why should I help you? With Dib out of the way, the world will be mine in two days."
"But isn't it an empty victory? Wouldn't you rather destroy him yourself than by a dream?" Zim's eyes twitched, but he said nothing.
"Come on, please?" Gaz begged. She leaned forward slightly on her hands and gave him a smile.
"Oh all right, but only because I want to destroy him myself."
"Good." Her smile faded. "Now to get out of here."
"It's indestructible, I made it my…" He trailed off as he watched Gaz get up and kick the glass, causing it to shatter outward.
"You were saying?" She walked through the glass and turned to look at him. He glared and stood up, following her out. Gaz gazed around, looking for anything of interest that might help. In one corner, she saw a machine that looked a lot like something from The Matrix.
"Zim, what's that?"
"It's an alternate reality machine. I found out about it on one of your human movies and tried it out with a few minor adjustments. It just gave me a nasty shock.
Gaz walked over to it and looked it over.
"What did you change?"
"Well, in the movie they had a connector for the back of your neck, but I didn't want to deal with something like that. Instead, I tried to make it so you just look through a scope with what you wanted on mind and it would create a portal to take you. Absolute failure." Gaz looked at what Zim originally used for a scope and laughed. It was made of plastic and looked big enough to look through with one eye. It was hanging from the ceiling and a tube connected from the bottom and ended in a foot's length. Another tube started there and lead through a large complicated board and out to a large hole in the floor.
"I think I see what's wrong."
"What?"
"This." She pointed to the offending piece. "It's too small for a worm to crawl through." Zim actually looked embarrassed.
"Well if you're so advanced, fix it yourself."
"I'd be glad to."
Gaz was quiet for a moment as she looked everything over, observing placements and connections. Overheated, she took off her coat and was startled as it clanged as it hit the floor. She looked at it and realization hit her. She reached for her pocket and pulled an object from it. She looked at Zim's face with amusement.
"I found it in the front of your house."
"And I found it years ago on Halloween. Forget what I used it for though, but it wasn't what it was intended for."
Gaz nodded her head on acknowledgment as she chipped off the dried mud. Zim was not pleased with the mess and ordered his computer to clean it up, which it immediately obeyed. The girl removed Zim's original eyepiece and replaced it with her scope. She attached the shorter tube at the small end and went to the board.
"Okay Zim, looked through the piece and tell me what you see."
Zim walked over, put his eyes to it, and gasped.
"What?" Gaz said, unable to hide her excitement.
"I see… nothing. It doesn't work any better."
Gaz frowned at him and switched the machine off.
"We need something else between the eyepiece and the board."
In the next hour, they tried a large number of things with disappointments each time. GIR joined them in this hour but his suggestions weren't helping.
"Is there anything that could work?" Gaz questioned. She sat down on a chair GIR had suggested and sighed.
"Of course. Anything's possible." Zim said, turning the machine off before sitting on a large metal box they had used as a platform for possibilities.
"But will we find what's possible?" Gaz put her head in her hands and ran them through her hair. She was pulled from her despair as a loud siren blared through the base.
"Intruder alert!" The computer bellowed, flashing lights as well to the attention. Zim stood and walked to a large screen and keyboard. He pressed a button and the alarm stopped.
"Computer! Show me the location of the intruder." A complicated map showed up on the screen as Gaz got up and walked behind Zim. A large plot labeled Sector 21 blinked green and Zim translated it for her.
"He's in the front yard. GIR, report to sector 21 and do a thermal scan. Put it on screen." GIR's eyes glowed their rare red.
"Yes, my master." He activated his rockets and blasted from the room.
Zim stared at the screen and no image came. He growled softly.
"Idiot robot. I sometimes think the tallests gave me a defective one purposely."
Before Gaz could respond, GIR flew back into the room, a large black box with a blue insignia on his back.
"Look! A present!" He squealed. He dropped the box in front of Zim and sat on the floor in front of it.
"GIR! How dare you bring that in here! It could be a bomb or… something. Computer, get rid of it immediately!" A large purple hook came from the ceiling and latched itself onto the package.
"No wait!" Gaz intervened. Zim turned to look at her but she was already making her way to the box. The computer brought in its claws and Zim was wordless at the obedience.
"Don't worry Zim. It's harmless." She traced the insignia with a pale finger, it's half filled flask and blue lightning bolts familiar to her. She walked to the other side and 'Membrane Labs' shone up at her in blue letters. She was quiet for a moment before speaking again.
"Its from my dad."
Eyes shining in disbelief and hope, Gaz opened the box with steady fingers. She pushed away the foam and tore away the bubble wrap, shocked at what she found.
It was large and purple, wires and two thin pipes sticking out of its rectangular shape. The two poles connected, making a tunnel of sorts through the confusing box. In the tiniest of letters on one of the poles were the following words:
Demensional Preservation and Creation Mechanism Use with caution!"I-it's the dimension machine," Gaz said, turning to look at Zim. "We have what we need."
"But how did he know you were here?" Zim asked, but Gaz wasn't listening.
"Computer, Move this machine and place it on the platform." The claw once again descended and clamped onto the box. After an excited GIR stopped running in the path, the box was in place.
Zim walked to the controls as Gaz walked to the device. She connected the tube from the scope to one poll and did the same with the rube from the control panel.
"Turn it on Zim," He nodded and obeyed. Both gasped as the wires began to glow purple and the machine whirred. Thinking hard, Gaz pictured her nightmare world in her head and looked through the eyes piece. She saw it through the piece exactly as it was in reality. She smiled.
"It works," She said. She turned to Zim and followed his stare. He was looking at the hole on the floor. In it flowed various colors, all dark, swirling wildly.
"That it does," Zim agreed. Gaz walked to the portal and looked closely at it. She saw only the colors and swirls.
"Weeee whoooo! The waffle man is here!" GIR screeched. He zoomed past Gaz with such speed that she began to teeter on the spot. Before she had a chance to step back and gain balance, she lost it and began to fall. Closing her eyes, she was ready for whatever happened, except the hand that grasped her arm and pulled her up. Gaz felt a blush cross her face as she looked to her savior. Zim smirked at her, then turned around.
"We need equipment first."
"We?"
"Of course. You didn't expect to go alone, did you?"
Zim walked to a large metal door and typed in a code. Gaz followed as he walked into a room with four doors. On was labeled 'Sector 18 Weapon Arsenal' and they entered here.
Hundreds, maybe thousands of weapons hung from the racks in the room. Areas were labeled neatly and arranged by size.
"My rulers didn't want to give me this weapons, they said I was too advanced to need to use them. They request that I only use my self-destruct button. I'm sure that my tallests will forgive me since it's important." He turned to look at her. "What do you think you will need?"
"Well, guns definitely. Maybe a few knifes and a grappling hook."
Zim took to getting her requests and his own items, handing her a medium, waterproof leather belt.
"What kind of gun?"
"Machine."
He took down a small, black gun and handed it to her. He got a gun for himself and showed her were everything was at.
"What type of gun is yours?"
"Laser. Very powerful, but it needs to recharge for a few seconds sometimes."
"Ready to go then?"
Gaz nodded and went to the doors with Zim behind her. They walked to the machine and in front of the controls.
"Computer. Don't let anyone near these controls until we are back. And don't let anyone in or out of this portal besides us."
"How long will the portal stay up?"
"If nothing interferes, until we turn it off."
"Okay, we go in together."
"And if something goes wrong?"
Gaz shrugged. "Better together then alone, right? On three then?"
Zim went to her side and took her hand. At her odd look he said: "Better together than alone."
With that and the count of three, the two disappeared into the swirling colors.
To be continued…Author's Note: I'd just like to say that I think Zim's voice is adorable. Just like his laugh. Also, R/R and I'll get the next chapter up when I can.