It's Never Too Late

By: Moojuice Nne of the Mayonnaise!

I burned my tongue on a pizza last night…it hurts…LIKE A PIZZA! Have you ever tried those personal deep-dish Tombstone pizzas? Put them in the microwave for two minutes and they BURN YOU! HORRIBLY!

Well, I have nothing much to say…oh, wait, yes I do. School is OUT! SO HAPPY! I've been playing Unreal for the past four days, and I think I'm brainwashed. This is about the sixth time I've attempted to complete it, but I kept having to erase my hard drive before I finished it.

LET'S GO SPAWN SOME NALI!!

Nali: Oubudah! Habulgee!

Toboe: (twitch) Eeep. I will eat the helpless alien!

Here is chapter six. You'll love this one!

WARNING: WEED USED IN THIS CHAPTER! Nne does not endorse weed. Actually, neither does Mim, but who cares about her?

Chapter Six: Why Am I Losing Them?

Mim sat in her executive's chair, spinning around. Her green eyes were narrow and angry. In front of her, a hologram screen hung down from the ceiling. After a while, she placed both hands on the top of her desk and cleared her throat. "Are they attempting to make contact?"

Behind her, a robed advisor nodded his head. "They want to speak to you. They said that you made a mistake."

Mim snarled. "I made a mistake? Put them on the screen; I will deal with them myself."

"Yes, Mim." The advisor turned and placed his hand on the control panel on the wall. The screen in front of Mim flickered to life. On it, the small head, muscular shoulders, and bulky form of a Planet Jacker loomed. His arms were crossed, and his small black eyes gleamed. He looked at Mim and nodded his head. "You already know me, Advisor Mim."

Mim got up out of her chair and turned her back to him, clasping her gloved hands behind her back. "Yes, I suppose I do."

Then she whirled, and snarled viciously, "Then it's all the more reason for me to insult you! WHERE did you get off thinking that you could fool me?!"

The Jacker looked embarrassed, but he drew himself up and looked defiantly at Mim. "Advisor Mim, I did not intend for you to be deceived. You asked my comrades to deliver the disease directly to Tallest Purple, and that is what they did. You did the research, you knew that the virus did not kill our people. It is a mere coincidence that it affects Irkens the same as Planet Jackers!"

Mim shook her finger at the alien on the screen, her green eyes flashing. "Well, you should have warned me that this would have happened! It being a 'mere coincidence' is nothing but a farce. You knew that it would happen. If Tallest Red finds out, I'm going to get killed, and so are you!"

"So what do you do with your dead?"

"Pardon me?"

The Planet Jacker looked exasperated, and glanced around the room. "What do you do with dead Tallests?"

"They get put in the Massive."

"Well, you have nothing to worry about, then. Nobody is going to assume that he survived. You don't even know if he survived, do you? Tallest Purple is probably as dead as any other Tallest in that Massive ship you have. As long as no one finds out, we are all safe from the truth."

Mim inspected her gloves. "All right. But I'm warning you. If anybody finds out about this Virus's flaw, it's your fault."

Mim cut the transmission, then marched over to the door and grabbed her fur coat off of the rack. "Cer," she said to the other advisor in the room, "I'm going out. Make sure that all accounts of that interaction have been erased."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Mim stomped out of the room and down the corridor. "My fault," she snarled, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a stem of weed. "It's my fault?

"Yes. It is."

Mim whirled around, and her eyes went wide, like a scared cat's. Standing behind her, in a blue uniform, was Peprik. Her yellow eyes were dull, but her hands were clenched into shaking fists. "You killed our Tallest!"

"How much of that did you hear?"

"Every word of it!"

Mim smiled smugly and put the stem of weed between her lips. Reaching into her pocket again, she pulled something out. Peprik's eyes widened as she saw what it was. Mim held the gun out at arm level and tilted it to the side. "I see we've been playing detective," she cooed sweetly. "Sweet dreams, Peprik." She pulled the trigger.

Peprik threw herself to the ground just in time for the bullet to miss her heart, but cried out hoarsely as the bullet ripped through her arm. Blood spattered all over the wall and carpet, but Peprik pushed herself up and rammed into Mim, knocking the advisor to the ground. Mim spat out the stem and fired again, but Peprik was already running down the hall, as fast as her skirt would let her. Her breath came short and ragged, and her arm clutched the wound on her bicep. Tears were flying from her eyes. One of our own killed Purple. One of our own. I have got to tell Red, while I still have time left!

Peprik turned a corner and dove into a lift that would carry her to the communications room. Stars swam in her vision. Come on, Peprik, she whispered to herself. You can make it. You must tell Red!

The lift halted suddenly, and Peprik stumbled out and fell onto a wall. "I…can make it," she panted, making her way slowly down the hall. "I have…to make it…for him."

Below her, she heard the angry voice of Mim demanding of others, "Where is the doctor? That yellow-eyed girl…"

Peprik's tears began to flow more freely, this time from pain. "Please help me, somebody." She struggled to keep walking. The searing pain in her arm had spread to her chest area, and her heart ached. She saw the communications room up ahead and almost cried out for joy. "I'm almost there," she sobbed, quickening her pace. Then, behind her, she heard the lift descend to the floor that she had just come from.

Great, she thought as she stifled a groan. This is just what I—

Another gunshot erupted in her ears, and she felt the metal tear through the muscles her thigh. She screamed and fell to the ground. Mim blew the nozzle of the gun, then put it back in her pocket. "Let's see…" she mused, walking over to the wounded Irken. Peprik rolled onto her back and glared up at Mim with misty eyes. "You'll kill me, too, huh? Just like you killed Purple!"

Mim reached down and grabbed Peprik by the antennae. "You know what, I might just do that. But, I'll make it more fun for you. I'm going to keep you alive, for the time being. God knows, Red'll probably come back sooner than we expected. He might need a little convincing, you know? You've probably heard all of the grand plans that we Advisors have in store for the Irken empire, right? Of course you have."

Peprik squeezed her eyes shut. She felt the warm blood trickling down her leg and arm make her skin crawl. Mim purposely grabbed Peprik's wounded arm and squeezed it. "We're going to kill Red. And then we're going to make his empire our own. And we're all going to do it with your help."

Mim yanked Peprik to her feet and pressed a button on her own collar. "Cer, make ready the cell in the basement. We've got someone who wishes to see it."

Peprik attempted to bite Mim's hand, but the green-eyed advisor kicked her in the thigh and shoved her forwards. "Come on, honey," she said sweetly. "I know you're going to love your place."

Peprik bit back the pain, but her pride had already been shot down. She couldn't get to Red. She had failed her Tallest again. Both of them.

"Red," she whispered, her tears falling onto the ground as she was being dragged away, "Please, be careful. Be careful for me…"

Red stared out of his window moodily, watching with weary eyes as the stars floated by. He yawned, not bothering to cover his mouth. Ever since the advisors on the ship began assuming that the disease was still thriving on the ship, various cleaning exercises had been undertaken to ensure that it would be wiped out. Red didn't care, however; it wouldn't matter if he died or not.

Something had bothered him, though, and made him question what was really going on. Usually, when an Irken died, the pod that he carried on his back would disconnect. Then, it could easily be destroyed or recycled. But Purple's back pod was still on. He didn't understand that no one had notified him beforehand of the incident. Of course, occasionally, the pod would become stuck and would have to be forcefully removed from the dead body, but the morticians usually did that job before the Irken was buried, or, in the Tallest's case, displayed.

"I'm going to have to talk to someone about this." He decided, folding his arms across his chest. "Something just isn't right."

Turning away from the window, Red cruised over to his bed and deactivated his hover belt. As soon as his feet touched the floor, he dropped onto the mattress and squeezed his eyes shut. Tomorrow. That's when I take action.

Tomorrow will be too late.

I have to do it now!

Red sat up again. "Why does my conscience always bother me when I'm in bed?" he grumbled, activating the hover belt again. Opening the door to his room, he looked out into the hall. It was deserted—of course it was, this was the Tallest's level of the Massive. No one was allowed here except Red and a few of his most trusted army officers. He wearily shut the door behind him and cruised down to the Communications Wing. He had to talk to Yoma.

Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him. Whirling around, Red was surprised to see Potluck standing in the middle of the hallway, staring at him intently. "I think that there is a traitor aboard this ship," she said with difficulty.

"Potluck? What are you doing up here?"

But Potluck did not answer. She took a shaky step forwards, then let out a small sigh as her legs crumpled and her body fell forwards. Red lunged towards her and grabbed her before she hit the floor. He turned her over, and saw a dark stain spreading across her stomach. Something gleamed in the middle of all the crimson color. A blade.

"Who…who did this to you?"

Potluck managed to smile. "Don't worry, Red," she whispered, placing both of her hands over the puncture. "I have to tell you something. It's really important."

Red stood up with Potluck in his arms. Her blood began to run down his arms and the front of his armor. "I have to get you to the Infirmary," he said, his voice constricting. He didn't understand: he had only known her for several days. He wasn't used to having feelings for other people.

"No, I'll be fine. Listen. I was in the cafeteria about thirty minutes ago, taking a break. I saw a group of advisors walk past the doors. They were walking pretty fast, so I decided to follow them. We wound up in the Communications room downstairs—the one that receives all of the military transmissions. I hid in the shadows by the door as they went to the panel. There was an Irken on the screen. He had on a military uniform…I think his eyes were red? His name started with a Y…"

"Commander Yoma. He's in charge of the Elite Force Division."

"That's him. He was in a pretty nasty mood. He didn't look to good, either. Behind him, Irkens were running all over the place and I kept seeing flashes of light. He yelled something at the advisors, then I heard, 'The Elite Forces can't leave the planet.' That's when one of the advisors held up his hand and said, 'Not according to Ren.' Then, Yoma turned around and I saw a bunch of really big and heavily armed voots rush over him."

Here, Potluck stopped and coughed hollowly, blood dribbling out of her mouth. Red's eyes were wide with horror.

"They sent…the…"

Potluck tapped Red on the shoulder. "That's not all," she whispered weakly. "The hangar began to explode behind Yoma. He kept yelling, 'Shoot the Forces down!' to all of his commanders, but they were no match. The last thing I heard from him was something about getting the Massive away. I think he was looking at me, and that's how the advisors found me. I tried to run from them, but we passed the kitchen…and he took a knife…but I'll be fine! I think something really bad is going to happen to the Massive, though! You need to do something!"

"They blew up the Military Hangar and sent out the Elite Forces." Red snarled. "What the hell are they planning to do?"

Potluck's hand tightened on Red's shoulder. "The Elite Forces are coming after the Massive, Red," she managed to say. "Please, you have to…save yourself…"

Her eyes smiled at him faintly. Red stared down at her. If you cry, he snarled to himself, you're going to lose your reputation of being the unforgiving, who-cares kind of Tallest!

"Red?"

The Tallest's eyes welled up. Damn.

"You can take me to the Infirmary now."

The Tallest shifted Potluck's weight in his arms and carried her to the lift. In his mind, confused thoughts raced like angry hornets. Who was the traitor that was sending the Massive to its doom? Why would they attack the Hangar? It was the Irken Empire's pride and, more importantly, the backbone of the military. And what was happening on Irk? How was Peprik faring?

Red's grip tightened on the limp form of Potluck. "I'm going to get answers to these questions very soon," he growled menacingly. "And I'm going to start with Mim."

Who is betraying the occupants of the Massive? Is Peprik going to survive the ordeal? If she does, will she be used by Mim to destroy Red? Will Potluck survive a gastric puncture wound? And how does Purple figure into this? Why is my Phantom of the Opera tape so horribly warped?!?!? Find out in the next chapter, and the ones after that! Keep reading and reviewing!

Dedication:

This chapter is dedicated to my cousin Antonia Toth, who died of liver failure on May 24, 2004. Antonia was only 21 years old. She was really sweet and just as pretty. She had three consecutive heart attacks (which were caused by the LF), before she went. She fought back twice; we lost her on the third. Nne is in a bad mood. All this happened within the time span of 24 hours.

:) I love you, Antonia! I'll miss you.

Remember, everyone. Life is really short.