For some reason the last chapter wasn't posted until about 13 hours after I worte it. I hope this one doesn't take as long....

Please don't be angry about the lateness... I was on time, i promise!! :

Chapter 8

Dib and Gaz watched the monitor intently, awaiting another feed from their mother, or the appearance of some form of connection between the ship and the planet's security beacon.

Unconsciously, Dib placed an arm around his sister, pulling her to his side. Gaz fixed him with a look of pure disdain before realizing that he wasn't even really paying attention. A well-aimed punch probably wouldn't have the desired affect.

She returned her gaze to the screen, dwelling on the events of the past thirty minutes. She remembered her ultimate shock and joy upon hearing that voice. Her mother's voice....

Their mother was alive.

Gaz grinned, not hiding it in the least. She hadn't let herself even think that they would find her mom, at least not alive. It was always better to prepare for the worst, then nothing bad would come as a surprise.

She closed her eyes, remembering the very last time she had looked into her mother's gentle gaze, felt the warm arms encircling her.

Gaz smiled, and let herself lean against her brother's side. She looked glitter-eyed at the stars on the other side of the glass encasement.

Thank you....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --

"Over here!" Barry called to the others, tossing some scraps of refuse to the side. He lifted up a darkly-colored metallic box riddled with wires, examining it closely. He hoisted it to his ear, noting that an electronic hum was purring from the tiny openings.

"That's it!" Zim cried, snatching it from his hands.

Barry glared at him, but let the alien grab the box and fiddle with it. Perhaps he was used to tampering with other-species devises. He watched Zim intently, hoping to pick up on the haughty alien's methods of decoding foreign technology.

Zim shook the box violently, pressing all the buttons he could find. He had seen similar circuitry, although this was clearly an ancient devise. It was surprisingly similar to modern defense systems, though. Probably all of which were manufactured after this model, he mused, considering its potency...

He looked over to see Barry watching him attentively. He smirked, reveling in the thought that the Barry human just let him take it from his hands. Probably thought he could decipher the symbols on the box. He raised it to his eye, pressing all of the buttons at once. Still nothing. Pretty respectable. Most systems would have short-circuited from all of the tampering by now...

Losing interest, he turned around.

"Gir!"

The little robot blasted over to his master, holding a wound-up wire resembling a slinky. "Yeeees?"

"Here." Zim handed him the security box.

"OOooooooooooooooo!" Gir took the box from Zim, holding it like it was nothing less than buried treasure. His eyes turned a gleaming blue as he lifted the box up, squealing with delight. He proceeded to run with the box held above his head, imitating an ambulance, before colliding head-long with a metal rod. The box shattered upon impact.

"Awwwwww! It's broken..." The artificial eyes filled with tears. "I miss you, box..." Gir began to wail.

Zim picked up the remains of the security system. He examined it, gloatingly noting it was now silent.

"Well, that takes care of the security system..."

"THAT was your plan? Find the system and smash it into non-activity?" Barry was giving Zim an incredulous look. "An amazing display of your superior intellect." Zim didn't catch the sarcasm of the last sentence.

"Yes! So brilliant! You yourself were clueless as to what to do." He grinned arrogantly. Jack cupped him on the shoulder.

"Couldn't have done it better myself..."

Barry glared at the two of them, immensely irritated. He turned to Medea, a look of disapproval on his face.

She just shrugged, humming and rocking Gir to calm his howling.

-----------------------------------------------

"And what are you going to do this time? Throw the pieces on the ground and stomp on them until they're molded into a ship?" Barry inquired sarcastically, heaving another panel of an Irken craft to the growing heap.

Zim looked at him like he was the stupidest creature he'd ever come across. "Of course not! A ship cannot be constructed with mere force..." He waved a hand at the heap. "We are simply gathering the proper materials, dumb earth monkey."

Barry threw down the scrap metal and stomped over to Zim. Jack quickly grabbed his arm. Barry shook a fist. "If that little cricket calls me 'earth monkey' one more time...!"

Medea raised her eyes worriedly.

"Ooo! Theys gonna fight!" Gir shouted happily, eyes widening with interest.

Zim stalked up to Barry, raising himself to eye level with the human by unfolding the spider-legs from his pak. He narrowed his eyes. "Are you challenging me, human?"

"Urrrr! That condescending tone is getting on my nerves! Who do you think you are, little brat?!"

"I am an INVADER! Highly respected among my people! Who do you think YOU are?" He pointed his finger in Barry's face, poking him between the eyes.

"I'll stomp on you!" Barry broke free from Jack's grasp and charged at Zim. They both went flying to the ground. Zim pulled the spider legs back into his pak, making a break for it. He had to come up with a plan to destroy the crazy-furious human...

Barry tackled him from behind, knocking him to the ground once more. Zim rolled over and punched him in the face with all his strength. Barry staggered for a moment, holding his nose, but quickly regained his composure and pinned the alien to the ground. "You!" he screamed, not hearing his companions' cries for them to stop.

Jack and Medea were running as fast as they could to where Barry and Zim were fighting, watching helplessly as the two rolled closer to the edge of the gorge. It was a fifty foot drop at least.

Zim kicked Barry in the stomach, standing up and taking a few steps back. Barry stood up too, undaunted by the slight force. He stepped forward angrily. "You little worm!" He reached his arms out to grab Zim again, but froze, noticing the hazard at last.

Zim looked at the horrified expression on Barry's face skeptically. He began to take another step back.

"Don't!" Barry reached forward in an attempt to grab Zim before he toppled over the edge. But he was too late, and Zim backed onto thin air, disappearing over the edge.

---------------------------------------------

woo. quite a cliff hanger. =looks around warily= hope no one comes after me... : X