Sword of Damocles: Chapter 6
Written by Aliet Faslami

-------- Jendai --------

Ever had one of those days where everything starts out wonderful—your cake doesn't burn, your truck runs fine first time you lift the hood, your fiancé is with you all day—and then suddenly the government announces its got too much on your real identity for your own good and is after your hide with things worse than super soakers?

That's how my day went.

I didn't say anything the entire time plans were made for escape. I just held onto Bast, like goons in black suits would break down the door any second and drag me away from her. This was just typical of my luck. I couldn't help wondering if maybe it was my bad fortune that brought this down on all the people I cared about. Dimly, I could hear Aubri planning aloud, but none of his words were registering. I felt almost detached from the scene before me, like I was watching our lives be torn apart on TV instead of actually being there. It's a strange sensation.

Lynne and Zim were barricading the door and windows, Zim with boards, Lynne with the chair. They were trying to buy us a bit more time to escape than we knew we had. Kas was breathing heavily into a paper bag, attempting to keep himself from hyperventilating too badly to be of any help. JC, AF and Tabby were listening to Aubri. All were planning ways for us to escape. Little

Ivy clung to Kas; her small knuckles would have been white if she hadn't been wearing gloves. There were clicks as Red gathered what lazers he could carry, preparing for battle of any sort. He had no idea what we would be facing. No idea how awfully the odds were stacked against us.

I knew. Zim knew. Both of us had suffered at the hands of the government, nearly lost our lives even. Those awful memories of the sterile room the dark suits the gunfire the screams the painful glare of fluorescent lights off of cold, sharp metal tools meant to rip you open while you still lived in order to see how your squeedly-spooch worked.

Zim met my gaze from across the room. I hadn't even been aware I'd been looking at him. There was one pair of Soldier-red eyes I could trust. And those eyes stared back at me with a determined intensity only Zim could possibly be capable of at these times. Nothing could daunt him. Neither impossibility, nor the entire human government could assuage him from the

deeply rooted thought that Irkens were superior, that no matter the odds, our race would triumph.

I got to my feet, my hands shaking on Bast's shoulders, forcing myself to face facts and survive. "Should we leave?" I asked, my voice strained.

"Not yet," Aubri murmured. He watched Zim nail boards in place over the windows for a second. "For the moment we're the same as everyone else on the block. They're all doing the same thing."

"My idea precisely, Aubri-stink," the resident Invader snapped, setting my nail gun aside to briefly glare at Aubri. When the look was returned, Zim hastily retrieved the tool and began nailing with a greater speed, his clawed fingers flying. Lynne was piling more chairs against the door. There was fear in her odd-colored eyes, an emotion I was unused to seeing in her.

"Once we are done, the escape can be easily preformed. The barrier will keep the humans busy while we slip out of the voot hanger."

Kas pulled the paper bag from his mouth long enough to pick Ivy up. He seemed to turn more and more gray with each passing minute. The child in his arms whimpered. I bit my lip.

"We should pack while waiting then," AF said, ceasing her pacing. She didn't seem too afraid. "Only take cash, something to keep warm in, and maybe something you don't think you can live without like a weapon." Her hand twitched automatically on the handle of her smaller flamethrower.

We all moved, save Zim. He still had his hands full with the nailing. "Get my fid-ill Lynne," he said, never turning his attention from his work. I didn't hear Lynne's response; I was already on the stairs, Bast leading me.

I felt blind, too shocked by the events to really be aware of my surroundings. We all had split off, heading to our respective rooms for what we needed. Those who didn't live here went with people who did to help in packing. I saw Lynne, out of the corner of my eye, duck into Zim's room and emerge shortly after with a fiddle case. She dashed upstairs and soon after she was out of sight, I heard furniture being moved once again.

The familiarity of my room was a great comfort. Everything was as I had left it. Plans and sketches cluttering my desk, photographs decorating the walls, blue and black décor, the unmade bed everything remaining unchanged by the devastation of a news report.

I wanted to cry.

I admit it; I am an overly emotional Irken. The slightest thing is enough to alter my mood, either for the better or for the worse. This shock was too much. I sat down on my bed, staring blankly at the wall as Bast rushed around me, gathering any moneys she could find, any article of clothing that might keep either one of us warm. After a moment, she removed a picture from my wall, broke the glass with her shoe and removed the photo. Her hands shook now as she pulled it out.

"Bast"

She looked at me sharply, folding the photo and quickly shoving it into a pocket of her pants. "Dai, get your box." I could tell she was fighting to keep her voice from breaking. I hoped it wasn't for my sake. "We need to get out of here"

"Bast don't" I got up, moving towards her. She backed up, shaking her head. "Come on"

"No Dai. Not now. Get your box and let's get out of here."

I bit back the tears that threatened. All I wanted to do was hold her, to have this whole awful mess go away and leave us alone. Everything had been going fine. I had a good, new life ahead of me, a fiancé, a house to move into, friends, allies and all of it was going to be destroyed. I knew I wasn't the only one who felt like this. Bast's actions proved me right.

My box was under my bed. It held every possession that was important to me. My box and Bast were all I needed to take. I could handle hunger, cold, fear, and even rain. But to be without the box, without Bast I would die again. Its smooth sides were actually comforting. One more thing that stayed the same, despite everything. I set it in my lap, staring down at it.

Bast set her hands on my shoulders. "I have the rest of the stuff" Her voice caught in her throat. "We we need to leave, Dai."

"I know" I said. My eyes drifted around the room. It had been mine since the first time the government had threatened my life and the lives of people I trusted and loved. I knew every inch of this place, every corner where small bits of dust would collect before they could be cleaned up, every place where you could hide presents for your fiancé or your best friend's student.

It hurt to know how many dirty human hands would search this place. It hurt so bad I got to my feet. One last look wouldn't hurt anything. Bast's hand slid into mine, her perfectly formed fingers entwining with my horribly mangled ones.

"We'll be able to come back someday once this all blows over we can come back here and we can laugh about how hard it was to leave." Even as I said that, I knew it could never happen. I knew how absolutely stupid it was of me to even think that would be possible. Bast didn't say a

word, just tightened her grip on my hand. We took a long final look at the room. A lot had happened between us in that room. Both of us were loathe to abandon it, to leave it at the mercy of callous governmental drones. It was stupid. This was just a room but still

Our quiet moment was ended by Lynne and Zim sprinting down the stairs. Their noise attracted the others, fear in their eyes. One look in the two's faces was enough for us all.

We were out of time.

I was stunned at how calm we were. Even JC was moving though the lab quietly. Red was the only one who made any trouble at all. And even his trouble was merely loud cursing. It was obvious no one really knew what to do or what to expect. Tabby stayed close to Red, her head down, her eyes lost in some distant decision. Ivy clung to anything she could, anything that was safe, anyone that would protect her from the humans trying to kill her. From time to time, either Kas or Red would let their hand come to rest reassuringly on her head, their fingers absently brushing her antennae. AF, her arm around Kas's too-skinny waist, stared straight ahead, her face impassive. Zim was our fearless leader, Aubri and Lynne his "assistants" at his side. JC stayed near Bast and me at the rear of the procession.

"There is a wooded lot not far from here," Zim was saying. "If we are able to make a smooth getaway, which we should, we should most likely head for it. Once there, we can figure out a better plan of action, and most likely move to a more densely wooded area for better cover."

"And if we get caught, Zim, you can just hijack another golf cart to create a diversion for our escape," I said, making a very weak attempt at humor. I was never very good at being funny.

Zim glanced back, smirking at the memory. "If only it were as simple as that" I heard him murmur. The determination we were all used to seeing came back, and he marched on, his back as straight, his march as exaggerated as ever.

There was some conflict over who would be the first to ride the elevator to the voot hanger. Ivy was instantly elected to go first, followed shortly by Kas. Aubri volunteered to stay behind for the second wave and Red pushed ahead to be first. Zim had to accompany them, as he knew what buttons did what.

JC was shoved into the elevator as the doors shut. "RED GET YOUR HAND OFF MY A—" she shouted before the doors muffled all sound.

Those left behind, including me, were anxious. Some of us hoping those we loved and cared for were safely hidden, the rest of us jumping at every noise our imaginations thought where government footsteps. Faintly, I could hear the frantic whirr of the computer's security systems as it tried in vain to keep the humans away with mere doors. Bast's ears twitched. She was

probably the only other person who could hear the computer's efforts. All the other Irkens were out of here by now. I held my box closer to me.

"Please gods, don't let them be found" I heard AF mumble. "Please" Aubri scuffed his foot against the floor. "I think they'll be okay."

I bit my lip. Of course I was worried about most of the people on that elevator. Kas was my best friend, Ivy his student who loved the world, Zim was my friend and off again, on again ally, and so was JC. Red could die. I didn't care if he was dissected while screaming in agony. I didn't care if

they tortured too much information out of him. But Tabby did and so, for her sake, I hoped he lived.

Lynne glanced around, her eyes huge, almost Irken in size. She backed against the elevator door slightly. Her eyes squeezed shut. "They have bad energy" she murmured as an explanation for her actions. "Very bad. Very, very, very bad"

"It'll be okay, Lynne," Tabby said calmly. She stared at the door we'd come through and heavily bolted behind us. Her gaze was cold. "It will be. No matter what. We'll fight and we'll win. And it'll be okay."

Sometimes I could understand why Tabby was attracted to Red. They both thought similarly about fights.

"Just because you fight doesn't mean you'll win," Lynne told her. The two locked eyes for a moment, a tiny battle of wills passing between them in seconds. "It could mean you'll die."

This was making me uncomfortable. Almost embarrassed, I fingered the too-shiny halo that was permanently stuck floating a few inches above my head. It was like a sign for everyone who looked at me that I was dead.

The fact couldn't be clearer if I was missing my head and had the letters "RIP" painted on my back. The damned thing GLOWED for Irk's sake! "Look, guys, can we concentrate on surviving this government thing and debate about whether battle inevitably leads to death or not later?" I asked, stepping between them slightly.

Tabby almost glared at me. Startled, I backed towards Lynne. She sighed, moving a step closer to Aubri. I was standing all alone. Keeping my eyes down, I went back to Bast's side. She gave me a tight hug around my waist.

The elevator came then, Zim with it. "Hurry now! They've nearly surrounded us!" he shouted, fear in his face. Lynne went in first, followed by AF, Bast—at my insistence—and Aubri. Tabby and I were last. I'm not sure how much time we had left in that room. The sounds of human voices were all around, echoing over metal walls. Zim's antennae were perked, twitching back

and forth, telling me he was both afraid and determined to succeed. It was an odd combination.

I allowed myself to breathe once the elevator doors shut. It felt safer in here. Sealed off from the world, totally secure behind double reinforced doors with my fiancé. It was crowded. Lynne's elbow was digging into my lower back, an extremely painful experience, despite my death. That spot had never stopped being sore. Bast was pressed into my chest, though I didn't mind that. I couldn't see either Tabby, Aubri, AF or Zim from my position, but I assumed they were crammed in the same fashion the three of us were.

Slowly, the elevator began its ascent, as if straining with our collective weight, though I knew most of us didn't weigh much. I was convinced I could hear gunfire coming from somewhere. The very though there might be weapons out there that could kill my friends and Bast was enough to make me shudder.

Bast was able to move enough to get her arms around me, holding me securely. A grasping arm came out of my backpod to take my box from me. I let it, watching dully as it disappeared into the implant.

When the elevator stopped, nobody moved. We were all too afraid to see what was behind that door. Zim spoke up. "Listen. Everyone else is out there waiting on you. If you don't leave we will all meet with the fate you all dread so. Now hurry."

Sometimes, Zim showed a streak of pure leadership that usually either Lynne or myself followed. Right now though, I wasn't sure if it was the situation or whether it was his streak showing that compelled us to listen to him. We stepped slowly off the elevator, all our senses on edge. AF nearly ran to Kas, throwing her arms around him. I could see her hands jerk as little nervous tremors ran through them. Tabby moved at a more sedate pace over to Red, who was preoccupied with both a lazer and little Ivy. The rest of us just fidgeted where we were.

"Are all of us here?" Zim asked, watching something out of the tiny hanger window. His face was pale in the small patch of streetlamp light coming through, his eyes large and dazzlingly reflective. "There are many of them"

There was a mumbled affirmation from somewhere in the room. A small ripple of relief went through us. That was until JC spoke up. I have never known JC to be the bearer of bad news, but tonight, she seemed to be.

"Hey where's GIR?"

I saw the sudden jerk of fear shoot through Zim. His eyes grew too large, his little body straightened, stiffening until it was as solid as the floor under my feet. Any Irken in the room could hear his pulse suddenly quicken

to a muted thunder through his veins. Antennae slicking back, he turned to face us, his eyes focusing on Lynne. "I I need to go back for him!" he almost shouted, making a dash for the elevator doors.

"Zim! You can't!" Lynne grabbed him, kneeling down to hold his shoulders firmly in her hands. Numbly, Soldier-red eyes stared back at her odd-colored ones. "They'll find you and they'll kill you! GIR is a robot! He can't die! He'll be okay!"

He tried to pull away, to fight her strong grip, to get away and save the little robot. But Lynne refused to let go. "I won't leave GIR!" he literally hissed. "I won't leave him!"

"You have to! He'll be all right, Zim!"

I remembered how Zim had cared for GIR when I'd first met him. How he tolerated the defunct SIR's insanity for the sake of the only real companionship he'd ever known at the time. It wasn't right for him to be forced to leave GIR. Not right at all. "Lynne," I heard myself saying. "It's okay. I'll get GIR."

Utter silence is the worst sound in the world. It's so oppressive that it deafens you in a roar. It was too late for silence to change my mind though. I had already begun the trick of sliding into the plane that runs parallel to this one, my body fading slowly from sight.

"Dai no!" Bast tried to grab me, her hands passing harmlessly through me. "Dai don't! Oh god! Dai!"

"Bast, I'll be okay." I allowed my hands to become just physical enough to hold hers. "They won't touch me. I won't be a minute." Slowly, they faded out to join the rest of me, making my entire exit a great deal more dramatic than I'd ever intended it to be. "I'll catch up to all of you! Get out of here and I'll find you!"

I barely caught a glimpse of their faces before I was fully in the transportation plane. This place was strange. One could see everything happening in the other plane, only in thin, crystalline outlines. They moved at a fraction of their pace, and I at a drastically faster pace. This allowed me, and anyone else who used this plane, to just from place to place in a split second, providing you could phase through the walls and other solid objects.

Phasing through the floor was easy. I did it so much in everyday "life" that it just came second nature to me. I allowed myself to keep falling until I reached the living room floor. What I saw there was sickening.

Even though I knew they couldn't move, couldn't see me, touch me, or even sense my presence, I remained crouched where I was, my antennae flat against my head. There were humans crawling over every inch of the room. Their thick, rounded fingers slimed across all the surfaces. The couch, Aubri's chair, the bookcase, my kitchen everything they could touch was touched.

Everything they could shove in little containers was taken. I saw several of my best cooking utensils being carted off, as well as a half-finished picture, done in crayon. It was the picture Ivy had been drawing before she'd left for Dib's.

That pissed me off.

It was a child's drawing for Irk's sake! A simple sketch of happy things, such as trees and sunshine, made by a four-year-old female who was only waiting to go to her friend's house! What did these idiots think it was?

Some sort of complex plan for world domination in a code that consisted of stick people with smiling faces? I clenched my fist, having a hard time concentrating. The crystal lines rippled around me, threatening to give me away to the enemy.

I forced myself to concentrate on staying in this plane. I had to find GIR. Unlike Lynne, I had no idea how to focus my mind to find energy patterns that marked people I knew. Hell, I'd barely started to figure out how to control my physical and astral bodies.

GIR wasn't hard to find. He was in the process of weaving through some unfortunate's legs, a look of sheer joy on his face. Poor little bot probably thought this was all some huge game of

tag. It wasn't hard to get between him and the human who would have been trying to grab him. Once there, I let myself go.

Almost instantly, I was slammed back into a world of color, of sound, of chaos. There were loud, shocked curses all around me. I felt GIR run straight into my ribcage, his robotic vocals shrieking. He was happier than anyone in his situation would ever be. I curled around him, trying to protect him, as I felt human hands grip me. I will never get over the sheer revulsion of filthy human hands on me. I doubt any Irken will. My mind struggled through the urge to retch, doing everything possible to gather enough concentration to pull the both of us into the transport plane.

Something pricked my arm.

I jerked upright. A quick glance showed a syringe of clear fluid sticking out of my arm. Memory flashed, followed by an instinctual need to flee. For once, I would be thanking those slarking images of my past, rather than damning them as I usually did. I kicked one of them in the shins, crawling backward to buy myself both room and time to escape. Concentration came easily. We slipped into the safety of the other plane before the humans could react to us.

Once silence surrounded me in its safe embrace, I was able to pull the syringe out from where it stuck. Hardly any of the fluid had gone in I hoped. Finding Zim would be hard. If only I knew where that damned lot was!

GIR squirmed in my arms. I knew he could find his master if I told him to. He had a tracking chip in him. I'd put it in myself. I decided to get to Bast, then let GIR get to Zim on his own. It would probably be safer for the two of us anyway.

Bast had never been hard to find. Her outline always glowed a brilliant blue in this place. I had no idea why that was, though I had a feeling that it was due to our feelings for each other. Slowly, I phased through the wall, looking around wildly for her glow. It was easily visible. She was up on a roof about a block away, hiding from sight. I couldn't tell if anyone was with her or not. Lynne had, in my experience, a soft green tone to her form.

I couldn't see her anywhere, so I assumed Bast was either on her own, or with someone who had no glow.

I ran through this plane, phasing through anything that got in my path. A few moments after I'd begun running, my concentration broke completely. The jolt of plane switching, combined with the fact I'd just smashed my face into a brick wall, knocked me to the ground. It was a long while before I could even tell where I was. GIR wiggled in my grip, snickering. I finally rolled over, feeling suddenly too groggy to move. I was in an alley, thank Irk, a stinking, damp alleyway across the street from where I should have been. My hold on GIR loosened. He squirmed away, rolling through a puddle. I didn't want to move. Damned human drugs. Whatever they'd stuck in me was fast-acting.

"Big Master? Are you asleeeeeeepy?" GIR poked me.

I looked at him with tired eyes. "Go find Zim 'kay GIR? Go find him and stay with him" My voice hurt.

"Okay!" The little robot hugged my arm, smiling widely. "I'll find Master! YAAAAY!" With that, he disappeared around the corner, his little disguised feet squeaking on the pavement. GIR'd be okay.

With a huge effort, I dragged myself to my feet, swaying. I fumbled for the disguise switch on my pod, pressed it, and staggered out into the streetlamp glow. My vision was blurry. I was in the middle of the street when someone stepped out of the shadows in front of me. I had to squint to make out the telltale ears and tail.

Bast pulled me into the other alley, her hands cold. Once the shadows hid us, she sank down against one of the buildings, hiding her face in her knees.

I dropped down beside her. "We're all alone, Dai," she whispered.

"Everyone we.. we were shot at We scattered. I I don't know where anyone else is" I held her close, not really sure what I was supposed to do at this point. Bast was crying. She pulled the photo she'd taken from my room out of her pocket, unfolding it to show me.

It was all of us. Zim, GIR, Red, Purple, Ivy, AF, Aubri, Lynne, Tabby, JC, her, and me. All together in front of the house by Lake Tahoe they'd made for Bast and me as a wedding present. Back when I'd had a possible future there. Back before any of this had happened. Back when I had every detail of my life planned, I knew what was going to happen to me I held her tighter. Our dreams could never happen now. We'd never get to have that house near the lake. We probably never be able to even have that wedding we both wanted.

I leaned my head against hers, fighting off the effects of that drug. Whatever happened to us, I wouldn't let Bast face it by herself. We'd find everyone and we'd be okay.

We'd be okay somehow.