I don't own Zim or the Tallest. See? Told ya they'd be in here someplace! Squee! Have fun! And don't forget to R&R... otherwise... you will be hunted down and burned! YAY! ^.^



III
The Bell Tolls

"You know, if you are lying to us, you will be executed for treason against your superior."
"Yes sir. I do realize this, my Tallest sir."
"And you stick by your story?"
"Yes sir. I do, my Tallest sir."
"Rael, you are backing him on this?"
"Yes sir, I do."
Tallest Purple put his head miserably into his hands. The three Irkens were in his private quarters, a place no one except the Elite Guards and Rael himself were allowed to be. For the midget Irken beside Rael, this was an experience he was unlikely to ever forget, or experience again in his lifetime. The only reason he was here was Rael's doing. Rael had heard the little Soldier's story of the events three weeks ago and brought him before the Student Tallest to retell it. But now that he'd heard it... Purple was unsure whether to believe it or not, even though Rael swore it was true. "A child..." he murmured in disbelief. "A little child..." Violet eyes flicked up to lock with the lighter red eyes of the midget Soldier. Respectfully, the youngster cast his gaze downwards, slicking his antennae against his head. "How young was she... eh..." For the life of him, he could not remember the small Soldier's name.
"Zim, sir," supplied Rael. "Squad 8236477-SSB. Under Captain Rikea."
"Ah, yes..." Purple looked at the one named Zim again. "Could... could you tell how young she was, Soldier?"
The little head shook. "No sir," he answered with a smart salute. "She was younger than I, though."
"Newly assigned, I'd assume," Purple mused to himself. His long, scholar fingers drummed against the tabletop, knocking against a pen before he could stop the nervous habit. He caught it as it fell. "Mother of Irk... Rael... how long has this been going on?"
Dark red eyes considered this. "As far as I know, years," he responded. "Guard Sen is behind this, sir," added the Captain after a moment.
Purple looked up from the pen, startled. "The one with the defective eyes?"
"Yes, sir."
"Oh Mother of Irk." The Tallest put his head into his hands again. He felt an odd sort of helplessness. "Have we any way at all of knowing how many they've made into defects?"
"No, sir."
The Tallest sighed again. He felt like... like... he felt terrible. First the whole banishment business... and now this. Why did the biggest messes always choose to fall into your lap at the worst possible time? He was already berating himself to the point of depression over his treatment of Jendai, when the two Soldiers had asked entrance. "We cannot kill them..." he muttered, mostly to himself. "We can't."
"If you forgive my intrusion, sir, is there anything we can do for them?" Zim spoke up, not sounding timid at all. He still kept that humble stance though, which was important.
Rael cast the young one a glance. "He does have a point, Tallest Purple," he said slowly. "We have no way of knowing how severe these defects are. They could be as simple as Sen's eyes, or as bad as having too few organs." Like his Tallest, he began to feel helpless. "I suppose the ones with the worst defects would die of natural causes... But the ones with simple defects... They could probably just live normal lives, I suppose."
"How could this... how could this have happened?" Purple sounded shaky. "I thought the Hatcheries were carefully monitored... All the reports I have indicate that..."
Now instead of feeling helpless, Rael was swept over by remorse. Few knew it, but, unlike normal Soldiers, those in the Special Forces were not limited by the usual Soldier emotion restrictions. Trained differently than other Soldiers, they were almost capable of feeling everything Students did, only they masked it better than most. He knelt at Purple's feet, slicking his antennae back against his head... and as a gesture of ultimate submission, removed the cloth mask from the lower half of his face. "Sir... Sir, forgive me..." Rael murmured. "I... I have known about these happenings... ever since they began." He choked. Betrayal... he felt as if he had betrayed his Tallest. Loyalty was ingrained into his being, more so than any other Solider. "I wished to tell you, very often. I hate what I have been forced to do. But, I had no solid proof until Sen admitted it to me one night... but I was too late to stop what happened. Sir... I beg you to forgive me for my crime..."
"Rael..." The Tallest looked a little uncomfortable. "Rael please... You didn't do anything wrong. We need to decide what to do here, not beg forgiveness that isn't needed."
"Yes, yes, sir."
"Now..." began Purple, leaning back in his chair. He looked much calmer now. "What are we to do about this...?" The Tallest had regained his control over the situation, what control he had, anyway. "Rael, I want any and all information you have or can gather on this situation. I will order all Soldiers out of the Hatcheries until this is cleared up."
"You have that authority?" came a new, more threatening voice.
"Red..." Purple sighed heavily. "I do, and you'll agree with me once this matter is explained." Violet eyes narrowed in a slow, careful motion. "It involves your Class killing mine, and seeing as you are one of the finest examples of your Class, you should be equally horrified."
In his mind, Rael was silently thanking the Mother of Irk that Tallest Red was not one who was against the Students. He cast a glance over his shoulder to the open doorway to Purple's quarters, where the other Tallest stood, casually leaning against the framework. Red didn't look annoyed, which was fortunate for all parties in the room. In fact, the other Tallest looked more amused by the situation than anything. But at the mention of Irkens killing one another, the calm vanished into-thankfully-what appeared to be revulsion. Beside Rael, the midget Zim looked back and forth between Tallests in a state of complete awe. His amazement only grew when Red approached them. "Say that again," the Soldier Tallest ordered, folding his arms and leering down at the seated Purple.
Not to be dominated by stance, Purple rose fluidly. "We have reports," he began, indicating the two smaller Irkens. "reliable reports that members of your Class have begun a campaign to kill mine."
"How?"
"I'll explain it to you later. Right now we need to order the guards out of the Student Class Hatcheries to ensure this doesn't keep happening while we think."
Despite his lack of knowledge on the circumstances, Red nodded understandingly. "I'll get on it. Any Soldier who goes into Student Hatcheries gets thrown in prison. How's that sound?" A rouge grin was plastered on Red's face.
"Very good sir," Rael saluted.
"Amazing, sir!" piped up Zim.
All heads turned to look at the little Soldier. Instantly, he knelt, slicking his antennae flat. "My apologies for speaking out of turn, my Tallest and Taller," he said quickly. "I only wished to voice how amazing Tallest Red's plan was. I will leave now if you see it fit, sirs."
Purple blinked, a bit surprised by this Zim's enthusiasm and extreme loyalty. "No... we need your story to clarify a few things..." he said after a moment. He then motioned for the rest of them to take a seat around the small table, returning to his recently vacated chair. "Now then," Purple said, eyeing Zim. "What exactly-"
"Can we get some food for this? I have a feeling it's gonna take a while."
"That's all you ever think about, Red?"
"Well, I'm hungry..."
"You're always hungry when I'm trying to have an important meeting!"
"Perhaps," Rael began quietly. "We should get something..." He knew his Tallest. And once Red had stated he was hungry, nothing else would get through his skull. Purple looked about to snap at Rael, then thought better of it and only let out an exasperated sigh that was more than likely directed at the whole of the Soldier Class. Watching him bicker with Red for the second time in minutes, Rael had to sigh to. It was a wonder if they could do anything with the problem with the two of them arguing so much. He sat back in his chair.
This would take a very long time, no matter if Red got his nachos or not.

The whole place smelled of flowers. Unusual for a place on Irk. Gentle blossoms of every color imaginable bobbed up and down on their long, pale-silver stalks as the group of Irkens passed them. Five petals to each flower, five petals that folded at tips which became darker than the rest of the flower. In their dark centers were three slender stalks used for spreading their version of pollen through the air. Standing about one foot in height these flowers, called Student Lilies, were some of the most beautiful things Min had ever seen.
Too bad such exquisite things were a symbol of such tragic events.
He scooted closer to Kaml, who was holding his little hand, suddenly nervous around these flowers. Kaml glanced down at him, his orange eyes concerned. "You all right Min?" he asked.
Min nodded, still gazing quietly at the flowers. So many colors... He felt very plain compared to them. Dressed all in black the group of mechanics stood out starkly against the brightness of the lilies. Although their dress was appropriate for their business here.
Normally, Students wore the color of their eyes as well as the color that represented their job. But now, black was the somber choice for this occasion. Irken culture was deeply rooted in colors. Color made a distinction between jobs, single Irkens, even Class, and gave Tallests their name once they reached their position. It represented occasions such as graduation from a Nursery or Academy, the giving of a name, or, like now, the passing of a fellow Irken. In such a ceremony, again, there was Class distinction of color. Students decorated themselves in black, whereas Soldiers chose a dark green.
There were no Soldiers among the group winding its way through clear passages, only mechanics. Lidge walked on the other side of Kaml, having changed her short working skirt for a longer, more formal one. The same went for Shil, who walked only a few paces ahead of Kaml and his students. Her injured arm had been healed since their brawl, but was still held protectively to her small chest. Cerol was at her left side, blind eye staring at nothing with a chilling gaze. Their boss was not with them, neither was Swar. They were in, what Irkens had labeled, a Death Dome. Made of clear glass separated into large facets to support the structure, the giant domes were like greenhouses, their hundreds of levels housing a floor of deep soil and carefully manicured greenery. They were made entirely of glass and metal, having clear floors, walls and even ceilings. This provided for an interesting effect. In any of the flower rooms, you looked up at a sea of brown earth and roots sitting above artificial sunlight lamps while real sunlight streamed through the walls. The Domes were one of the more beautiful buildings on Irk. But, like the lilies they housed, their purpose was depressing.
When an Irken died, their bodies were burned, the ashes given to the workers of the Domes. The ashes were then placed in small boxes and buried in the soil kept within the various levels of the Domes themselves. Once buried, genetics specialists created a lily whose flower would bloom to become the same exact color of that Irken's eyes. The flower was then planted over the box and labeled with the Irken's name, age at death, and a few words from their friends or teacher. The Domes were Irken graveyards.
Looking through the glass that separated the corridor from the masses of flowers, Min shivered, clinging to Kaml's hand. The thought of what lay beneath those lilies frightened him. He knew nothing about the cremation of the bodies. To him, there were hundreds upon thousands of Irken bodies lying just below the surface of the soil. "Shh, Min," Kaml soothed. He was picked up by his surrogate teacher. "What's the matter?"
"Nuthin'," Min mumbled, burying his face in Kaml's neck. He liked being held. The Nursery workers had done it a lot for him. But his teacher had only held him once, briefly, before he'd been banished. Remembering that night still hurt him. "I miss Teacher Kaalae..." he said finally, as a thought struck him. "Kam...?"
"Hmm?"
"Is... are we gonna get Teacher Kaalae a flower?"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lidge stiffen at this. Hastily, the female looked away, rubbing a gloved hand across her face before returning her gaze towards the elevator that was now only a hundred feet away. Kaml tensed a bit as well. "No, Min," he said softly. "We're not getting him a lily because... because Jendai's not dead and Wikki is. Only dead Irkens can have lilies." Min could tell he was trying to keep something out of his voice.
"Okay," the gray-eye mumbled. He decided not to press the subject anymore. Older Irkens got mad at you for pressing uncomfortable subjects. Min was eight after all. Eight was smart enough to realize these things. Keeping quiet, he wrapped his arms around Kaml's neck, moving his head to rest against his chest.
The elevator was clear, like the rest of the Dome, letting them see the attendant inside. Kaml hung back from the main group, setting Min down beside Lidge. "Keep him with you, okay?" the orange eye ordered. "I have... something to do." His gaze was focused on one of the flower rooms. To Shil and Cerol he said, "I'll meet you guys up there. Be back in a second." And then he walked away.
Min stared after him until Lidge gently took his hand and led him away. He didn't fight her. She looked down at him sympathetically. "He'll come back Min," she assured him. "Remember when we said Dai'd be okay after working with the voot? It's the same thing... he just needs to talk to someone."
"'Kay," he mumbled, following her into the elevator.
When he was sure he was alone, Kaml slid into one of the flower rooms, eyes alert for what he sought. Maroon. That was what he needed to find. A single, maroon flower. There! In the south corner. He made his way over to it, careful not to disturb the other lilies growing in the room. Even though the Irken beneath the flower couldn't hear him, he felt obligated to let her know what had happened. Coming closer to it, he noted how tall it looked. A proud flower, this one. He knelt down before it, tracing a gloved finger over the soft, silky petals. Below the flower, as with all the others, a metal plaque read:

DASKE KAALAE
Age At Death: 78
Cause of Death: Blorch Fever
Loved Teacher, respected mechanic

"Hey Daske," Kaml murmured. Jendai's old teacher had always been kind to him. He'd enjoyed her stories of the blunders of the Soldier Class. Jendai had loved her dearly. From what Kaml knew of her, she was a lenient teacher, not requiring her student to tell her where he was going after hours or why, and thus Jendai had always felt obligated to. He remembered one time, when he'd been in his early teens, Jendai, Leeri and Kasden had all come to his door, asking him if he'd wanted to come to one of Irk's capitol's many dance halls. Kaml had been amazed the three's teachers had let them out so late and when asked, they said it was Daske's doing. One quick call by his teacher to Daske later, Kaml was out dancing with them. With a grin he recalled Jendai and Leeri's actions towards each other that night, as well as the two females who had hounded him and Kasden Aman. Daske had always acted young, despite her biological age. Her death had stunned and pained everyone who knew her.
Blorch Fever. Often called the rat sickness. It was the worst alien disease Irkens knew of. Transmitted through contact with cells of a rat person, it burned away the victim's body fluids at such a rate it was hard to keep the victim hydrated long enough for treatment. Although difficult to do, it was treatable and survivable.
Daske had contracted the disease through working on a voot cruiser that had returned from a mission on Blorch. Jendai had barely avoided getting a deadly dose himself. He had just passed out of needing Daske's care, but, like most students, still lived with her and worked with her until he could find a house and position of his own. Fortunately for Jendai, Daske had refused to let him work on the cruiser. When she had fallen ill, he'd taken her to the medical center, and gotten a small dose of the virus himself. He'd recovered easily, but Daske had been too old. She'd passed on before they could do anything for her. Her sudden death had shocked all of West Jihi as well as devastated poor Jendai.
"I... I really hate to tell you this, Daske," he said, knowing how stupid it was to be talking to a lily. "But... Jendai's been banished."
It had to have been his imagination, but Kaml could have sworn the flower wilted a bit at the news. He bit his lip as the entire story came out. He knew it was idiotic. He knew he was talking to a flower. But he also knew if he didn't tell someone his feelings on this, he'd burst at the worst possible time. The flower just sat there, listening, as Kaml poured out his heart to it.
"And to add to all that, little Wikki Shrig was murdered..." Kaml broke off, rising. "I have to get to her funeral now... so..." He shrugged. "I'll drop by again if someone dies, okay?" Kaml turned on a bootheel and left the room.
Behind him, the maroon flower waved slowly in an unseen wind.

Where was Kaml? The ceremony had already begun and the orange eye was nowhere in sight. "Blast him," Lidge murmured, wiping her eyes hastily. Beside her, Min clung to her long skirt, whimpering through his tears. He, Lidge, Cerol, Shil and Swar, who had been waiting for them in the doorway to this room, were only spectators in this. They had no real part, save for comforting Regert afterwards.
It was a small grave, smaller even than the rest of the graves around it. Set against the back wall, at the end of the row. Each room had space enough for one hundred thousand graves, all organized into rows that wrapped around the room in a spiral, with a small, dirt path between rows. Wikki's was the newest one. The smallest one. The onlookers were gathered in a semi-circle around the grave, Regert and an attendant stood on the other side, the attendant holding a lily bulb wrapped in a thin paper while Regert held a small yellow box that was damp with his tears. A square hole stood between them.
"Wikki Shrig," Regert murmured. He'd been coached in the proper things to say in the ceremony. But no amount of coaching could erase the pained choke from his voice. "Was... my student..." His hands clenched around the box. "Was... my little... my Little Doll."
"How did she die, sir?" the attendant asked formally.
Regert swallowed. "Murder," he whispered. "Soldiers... killed her because... she had a defect of her genes..." For a moment, the boss of West Jihi broke into sobs, holding one gloved hand over his eyes. "And... they wanted to cover it up."
Clutching her skirt, Min let out a soft wail, remembering that night. Lidge knelt beside him, holding him close to her to protect him from whatever nightmare visions were in his head. He'd been so strong when Jendai had been around. Now he needed someone to be strong around too. "It's okay Min," Lidge whispered, barely above hearing level. "I'm here. I'm here..."
If the attendant, or Regert, had noticed them, they didn't show any signs of it. The ceremony continued uninterrupted.
"I loved her..." Regert murmured, continuing. The box was now clasped to his chest. He wept openly.
"As a teacher should," the attendant responded. "And in loving her, you know what you must do with her remains." He gestured to the open hole. "You must place her box here, so her spirit may grow with the lily to be a symbol of who she was."
Wordlessly, yet still with the utmost tenderness, the box was set into the hole, gloved hands resting a moment its top. Tears flowed unabated. Slowly, handful by handful, scooped earth refilled the hole, dirtying black gloves. Halfway through, Regert's hands reached for the bulb, which was handed to him by the attendant. Next, they groped for Swar's, hands that were gladly given to him. Together, they set the lily bulb in the soft dirt, covering it with the last of the scooped out earth. For a long time after, the hands remained clasped over the grave, drawing support and comfort from each other.
There was not a dry eye. Shil sobbed into Cerol's chest, her student being the taller one, and thus gave them more comfort this way. He held her back, letting his tears drop onto her head. Lidge rocked Min, trying to quiet his sobs. She desperately wanted comfort of her own, but Kaml was nowhere to be seen. He'd missed the entire ceremony! Blast him! Just when she needed him the most was the time he decided to disappear... Unconsciously, her hands tightened around Min. Someone needed help too, possibly even more than she. Little Min hadn't ever known Wikki, other than a seldom-seen figure on the workfloor, or a voice calling for Regert's spare moments. Truth be told, Lidge hadn't known the child either. She'd babysat her for the boss a few times, but that was all. Still... the death of any Irken hit all Students who'd known them hard. Lidge felt tears dripping onto Min's uniform. Before she could wipe them away, her teacher was by her side, drying her eyes. "Kam?" she hissed, disbelieving what she saw.
"Shh, it's okay now, Lidgers," Kaml soothed in a whisper, putting his arms around them both. "Sorry I missed it..."
She just nodded into his chest, glad he was back. The attendant had begun muttering words in ancient Irken none of them, save Swar, understood at all. It was over. The ceremony ended with the attendant placing the plaque on the grave, then escorting the mechanics out. Regert and Swar stayed, looking down at Wikki's grave. Anyone could hear their boss's sobs. Even after the glass door closed behind them with a soft hiss of hydraulics.

Normalcy returned to West Jihi in only a matter of days after Wikki's burial. Everyone knew of her death, as news traveled fast in the workshop, although few noticed her actual absence. The little one had never been a dominant personality in the shop during her time there. Her lack of presence was only chiefly noted by Regert's withdrawal from the workfloor. He stayed in his office most of the time, some days never leaving the solitude of his quarters. When the red-eye did appear, there were black circles beneath his eyes, his normally crisp clothing was messed and wrinkled. Most upsetting to the workers though, was Regert's weight. In the same time it took for sanity to regain its hold on the workshop, he'd lost so much weight he was beginning to look like Kaml.
The orange-eye pushed his goggles back, surveying the runner he'd just put the finishing touches on. "Try 'er, Min," he called, taking a few steps backwards.
Instantly, the engines sparked to life, giving off a pleasant hum in the din of the workfloor. Kaml grinned. Yes, life was going smoothly now. For his little group at least. Turning to his tool rack, he stripped off the goggles, waving to Min to kill the engines for now. At the table on the other side of the station, Lidge was filling out the file work necessary to return the runner to its owner and collect payment. Two stations over, the buzz of a plasma torch told him Shil was hard at work. He didn't even need to look over at her to know Cerol was watching her with one eye, carefully analyzing her movements. Above him, for the first time that day, dry red eyes gazed down over the floor, solemn and sad. But beside them was a pair of dark red eyes Kaml had never seen before. He assumed they were conversing.
"You're sure Tallest Purple will... punish those worms?"
"Yes, sir, I am. He was most upset about this."
"You know what this will lead to, once the rest of the Students find out?"
"That I do. And I dread that day."
"Why is that? You're a Soldier. You should love combat."
"I... I have no desire to see your Class slaughtered-"
"Classsist!"
"No no no! I assure you, sir. I meant no offense. I only... I despise death. Irkens killing Irkens... who would have thought it would come to this?"
"If the Tallest stop the abuse, it won't. Otherwise..." Red eyes glittered with an odd passion as the bell for noon break tolled ominously. "they had better prepare for a revolution of unimaginable proportions..."