Chapter 10: Lightning (part two)
Science is the ultimate double-edge sword.
Studded with technology beyond the imagination, Dib let his eyes soar through the laboratory, never blinking, never missing the chance to absorb the wonders around him. It was unbelievable, the underground facility that the Invader Zim had seemingly constructed over night. Both Dib and Zim had arrived in the sub-terrain labyrinth hours ago, but the young boy had only investigated a small portion of it; the entire place seemed to sprawl on for miles on end, sinking ever further into the earth's underworld. Every inch shined with a metallic glimmer and Dib's mind spun with envy; there were so many inventions that the human race was so far from discovering.......in some cases it may have been for the best. Several of the Irken's machines were outfitted with lasers, weapons of destruction, and Dib feared their intended uses, feared and was yet ever so curious and amazed......
With the looming walls surrounded him like metal golems, the intricate machinery monstrous and overbearing complicated, Dib, beside himself in incredulity was half-tempted to give his nemesis a congratulatory pat-on- the-back. But the raven-haired boy would be damned before setting one foot forth to praise the nefarious alien......would be cursed before he uttered a single word of admiration. No amount of scientific splendor could compel Dib to those lengths, to lose his composition.
He was in the alien's homestead of sorts, in his domain. There would be no instant in which Dib could completely let his guard falter, even if they had agreed to cooperate for this "noble" cause. In the back of his mind, always creeping towards the front lines was the notion that Zim would deceive him. It wasn't as if it was beyond the alien to betray their temporary peace. His every smile was teeming with deceit; he would never be Dib's true ally, even in this moment of desperation.
He was doing this for the sake of his planet alone; there was no other motive behind these risky actions.
"So you are admiring my work, are you?" arms crossed in front of his slender torso, Zim, stripped viper-tongue always lashing, slowly came up from behind Dib. The boy felt his flesh ripple with restlessness; the alien's smug attitude did more than cause Dib a small amount of unease.
"Yes, now that you mention it.......although I can't help but wonder why your superiors entrusted you with some of this technology......." Dib's words cut into the Irken's already inflated ego, "Some of it is obviously too advanced for the likes of you....."
"Now that's no way to treat your temporary ally, is it, worm-baby?" Zim smiled a sharp-toothed smile that seethed with frustration. The alien was apparently none too happy to be working with this filthy human. His only consolation was the doubtless assertion that Dib was none too pleased to be working with him either. Anything that caused the worm-baby an inkling of discomfort would deliver him that much more delight.......anything to watch him suffer, even in silence.
~~~Oh, and how he'll suffer.......~~~ thoughts like poison, Zim fought hard to control the laughter that was boiling to the surface. To have his number one enemy right in his grasp......it was all too perfect......too easy.
"I'm not here because I like you......not because I'd ever want to be working alongside an evil twit like you," Dib replied, as he inspected another gigantic contraption. It looked like some sort of vehicle, one that closely resembled Tak's.......
Tak.......
Dib shook his head quickly, just as the image of the female Irken wandered back into his mind like a sharp stone twisted in his side. He had forgotten her, or so he had previously thought. How foolish he had been. How foolish he still was.......now, after thinking about it for so long, love appeared to be so worthless, so dangerous. What good was love to someone as idiotic as he, he who obviously didn't know how to hold someone's heart close to his own. His mouth tightening, Dib looked away from the space-car of sorts and returned his attention to Zim, who had since drifted off to a partially empty room.
How had things turned to this? It was just last week that he had revealed himself to Nel, confessed his love, his devotion. What had he done wrong, done to deserve this....... Deep down Dib felt as if he was betraying her, leading her down the short corridor of fated doom. Guilt sliced into his whole being at the thought of her lying before Zim and his evil affinities; Dib couldn't even begin to fathom what he had in store for the Tristanum.
Why did he let this grief take hold now, in this moment of decision?
He feared for her safety even now......no matter what had come between them, the truths revealed and the trust lost, he would never want Nel to arbitrarily suffer, never want her to beg for death over torment. He didn't want to see her mouth contort in pain, see any more tears shed on his behalf.......didn't want to hear her call out his name in hope that he would save her. What could he do for her now......what could he have ever done for her in the past.
Dib felt more hopeless then ever as he waited for her eminent passing.
Soon, much too soon, she was going to die.
She was going to leave him, whether he wanted her to or not. Strapped to his feelings, the thoughts he had been fighting for so long, Dib wondered how he could hide from this pain........where could he run.......what could he use to replace the impending solitude that crept up on him like a stalking beast?
Where could he go to escape his memories.........
Would he take this shame to the grave?
Where did his heart and mind lie now, torn between what he knew was right and what his duty to the planet, his mission's demands. He was so afraid of what the repercussions of his actions would be......would he linger on with everlasting compunction. Where would he go for atonement after the deed was done.......after Nel was gone. Or would he loiter for all eternity searching for the light once more?
But he had seen the terror and havoc that her race wielded, the damage that his Earth was so vulnerable to. None of the planet's weapons of defenses could prepare or shield them to the Tristanum's attacks; nothing could save them if Nel was allowed to survive any longer.
It was for the best that she should be killed.
Then why did he still feel so guilty? Where was this knife of remorse and shame coming from, stabbing itself into his heart.......
"When will your robot be back?" Dib demanded. They had been waiting for more then an hour now, and he was growing impatient; he wanted to finish this quickly.
"Give it time, Fat-head......he'll come soon enough, with the repulsive, hideous Tristanum slime-doll in tow," turning to face an examining table of sorts, Zim sneered again, "I must admit my glee towards this event borders on uncontrollable."
"What do you plan on doing to her......it?" Dib gulped, nervously eying the equipment that Zim had pulled out from underneath the cot. It was about the size of an average bed, but looked none too comfortable, not even lined with a blanket. Constructed from some sort of metallic alloy, the table had a small keyboard jutting out of its side, with a plethora of lights and colored dials decorating the surface. But at this moment, it appeared lifeless and dormant; no sounds emanated from the terrible cot. Little knives with sharp curved blades, needles that were individually labeled in Irken script, and several other dissecting tools that seemed to smile from their tray, ready to slice into the nearest victim. Dib shivered. "I thought our plan was to merely eliminate the alien, to protect the planet from the Tristanum fleet."
"And we shall, my stupid little friend, we shall! The whole fleet will feel the tremor as we put down another one of their insipid little servants!" gloved fingers intertwined within one another, Zim quickly dashed over to a row of 4 immensely large, all pitch black except for a few Irken letters blinking in the upper right-hand corner. Several keyboards, all foreign to Dib, were arranged beneath them, and Zim was hurriedly tapping away at them. As he did, several flood lamps inundated the room with light, nearly blinding Dib, his eyes dilating from behind thick lenses.
"Then what is all this?" Dib eyed the knifes again warily, but before he could continue, a small creature bounded up from behind him, nearly colliding into his planted body.
"Master!!!! GIR is BAAACKK!!!!" the automaton shrieked aloud, scaring the daylights out of Dib as he side-stepped just in time to let the small silver and green robot streak by. Much to his hidden relief, Dib noticed that the robot's hands were empty.......maybe she had eluded him.......
"And finally, you moronic compilation of......oh never mind......." fighting to control his temper towards the inept GIR, Zim raised an eyebrow menacingly, "did you bring the girl? Did you capture her?"
"Of coooourse......silly-head......" GIR squealed as he started to suck on a half- eaten lollipop, giving a wave of surety with his free hand.
"And?" becoming more and more irritated, Zim began to tap his foot incessantly. As the robot continued to eat his candy, Dib, still in the adjacent room, felt beads of sweat begin to drip down his back. If she wasn't here, then where? Would she still be in the lab? Had she escaped? Realizing that the half-witted robot was now completely ignoring rim, a river of sugary drool forming at his metal feet, Zim stomped his boots in frustration.
"GIR!!! Stop your insipid candy-eating at once!" he ranted, bopping the robot on top of its head. The harsh impact jostled the machine's virtual brain back into place, as Dib observed the robot's eyes rapidly changing to a deep shade of crimson. Their ruddiness poured into Dib's soul so much that he barely recognized the normally scatterbrained automaton; he was reminded once more that every face hides two personas.
~~~Nel......~~~
"Yes, Sir!!!" standing straight and proud, the soldier-like robot abruptly dashing out of the room, its metallic feet clanging on the ground rapidly, their echo resounding in the room for several seconds. Dib was clinging onto the edge of his wits, wondering if Zim's accomplice had succeeding in apprehending Nel. "The prisoner is in the detention cell. What are your orders, Sir?"
"Splendid, GIR, splendid........bring the Tristanum before me now and prepare her for the.......analysis," licking him lips greedily, Zim pivoted around on one of his booted feet, glaring into Dib's face now, "This won't be long, I assure you."
"But this wasn't what we agreed on!" exasperated, Dib unconsciously found himself backing away into a wall, "There was no mention of.....of this!"
He felt beneath the strands of hair on his head a thick blanket of sweat forming, dribbling down the sides of his face, becoming absorbed in the collar of his signature, black trench coat. Some drops seeped into his eyes, stung, and he quickly wiped away the perspiration, flinching only slightly. Still beaming with delight, Zim reached out with both of his hands, spider-like fingers leering towards Dib's shoulders. Suddenly, without reason, the alien grabbed him tightly with both hands, drew him closely, too close. Their faces were but a few centimeters apart, and Dib could feel the repulsive Irken's breath surging upon his nostrils. He gave another involuntary flinch.
"I thought we might have a bit of fun before disposing of the girl........yes, a bit of scientific exploration that no specie has ever undertook," Zim said, still keeping Dib in his grasps, "I want to see her writhe in pain, pay for the deaths her people have caused mine.......I want to her to realize what a mistake she has made coming to this stupid planet, this orb of maggoty maggots like you........."
"Now that's no way to treat your temporary ally," Dib mocked sourly, shrugging himself free, shoulders tingling from the Irken's tight hold. Zim's strength belied his small stature; he had found that out during any of their scuffles. "I don't want to be a part of your massacre......."
"But you already are, you already are," satisfied with the anxiety he had inflicted upon Dib, Zim returned to the examination table, gloved fingers racing along the on-board computer. It was now active and whirring, and with a chime, a multitude of black and blue metal straps sprung forth from the sides of the bench, laying at the contraptions sides in wait. "As you may have failed to notice, my slave has returned with our specimen......."
Mind racing, blind with confusion and guilt, all connected by strings of hatred, Dib snapped his head around, neck straining. The robot Zim had called GIR was indeed back in the room with them, standing in front of a shadowed figure, naked save for a tattered and shabby sweater, oversized and splattered with a red substance that was undeniably her own blood. Dib smiled grimly; she must have put up some sort of fight during her submission. GIR lead the person towards her coffin and grave, eyes still throbbing with a scarlet radiance, leading her with a chain that was tightly coiled around her thin, fragile neck. She did not look up at Dib; did she know that he stood before him now, in her last waking moments? A silent hope inside of him prayed that she would not see him at all.
"Lead the Tristanum onto the table, GIR," Zim ordered, giving quick glances in Dib's direction, as if to tease him. But the bespectacled teenager simply stood fast in place, lips dry, heart rapping against his ribcage like a lion fighting to be free from its cage. GIR did as he was told, forcefully directing Nel onto the vacant bed, all while roughly removing her chains. Nel was glad to be without the cumbersome shackles, but knew that something worse was bound to come.
She was instantly reminded of her Rose Room, the hollow sanctuary that doubled as her prison. Reminded of the sleepless nights spent alone, the crying that took place after being mercilessly beaten by her mother.
Reminded of the experiments that awaited her day in and day out.
The robot that had attacked her in Professor Membrane's laboratory shoved her atop the steel reinforced table, and the straps, as if compelled by some unseen force, suddenly launched themselves towards her shaking, quivering body. Not giving her time enough to struggle, not even to gasp, Nel soon found herself bound to the table's cold surface; goose bumps formed along her bare arms and legs as tears began to flood her soft, brown eyes.
Where was her savior now........where was Dib.......did he hate her?
Everyone seemed to hate her. No matter how hard she tried, she always seemed to disappoint.
Tossing her head from side to side, muted whimpers barely passing her clenched teeth, Nel's sight barely missed catching hold of Dib's presence as he leapt into a small alcove, hidden in the shade. He gave a long, heart- aching sigh, rubbing the back of his neck slowly with one sweaty palm.
The knives from the dissection table's tray seemed to gleam in bloody anticipation.
What fate was the Irken going to condemn Nel to? Dib felt his forehead becoming hot with frustration. Would he simply stand and watch as Zim slowly tore her apart, slowly killing her like a person being buried alive?
Was he truly a moral person?
"You're probably wondering why I've brought you here........" Zim began, voice rich with victory. He picked up one of his autopsy tools, a blade with a long thin handle, and held it between two of his fingers, let it swivel slowly. Eyes soaked with terror, Nel let her jaws hang open, tongue arid and mouth waterless now.
"You can speak, can you? Speak!!!"
"I........I......." Nel stuttered pitifully, but before she could squeeze out another word, Zim let his hand lash forward, a silver line cutting through the air as his blade left a small rent across her delicate face. Her skin peeled apart where the razor edge had kissed her, but she showed no sign of pain, save a single tear that trailed down her cheek, falling on the table beneath her.
"Too slow.......much too slow you piece of Tristanum filth......." the Irken used his tongue to lick her blood off of the knife before setting it back onto the tray. "Even your blood is foul......."
Zim relished in seeing the girl's blood washing down her face; the cut had been tiny and clean, but had been made deep enough so that a rivulet of burgundy fluid now painted her skin.
~~~Was her name........Nel?~~~
"Perhaps you really do not have a single simple-minded clue.......how sad........" Zim clucked his viper-tongue in false-sympathy as he slowly sauntered to the row of screens that were set along the expansive wall. "I've waited my entire life to prove myself to the Tallest, to prove myself without the use of sweets and candy........and now I finally can........
"But before we start, I'd thought I'd let you enjoy some video clips I just happened to stumble upon; I'm sure you'll find them highly enjoyable and entertaining."
A smile filled with malice was painted upon his face with oils of cruelty and wickedness. Bringing his attention back to his control panel, Zim commenced a long series of button taps and dial turns, fully concentrated on the task at hand, heart fluttering with eagerness. From her vantage point, Nel felt like a animal about to be cut open, except she knew what about to happen, was completely aware of this harsh reality that was beginning to unfold in front of her. She wished she were more ignorant, wished the end would come quickly. She wished she had never been born.
"Ah-ha.......here we go.......now watch my little friend.......watch and be informed of your crimes," apparently satisfied, Zim stepped away from the keypads and monitors, skirting back to Nel's side, almost tempted to drag Dib out of his hiding nook, let the blade of guilt sink into the human's flesh deeper yet. But his time would come; Zim would make sure of this. A lone figure appeared on the screen, the picture itself being somewhat shoddy; Dib could barely make out the person's face as lines as static coursed across the monitor, although a feeling of déjà vu was starting to overwhelm him. Had he seen this person before? How long ago?
"Entry 45-a.......this is Maurer, chief scientist for the Fern Project," the man spoke in garbled words; the video had obviously been unkempt before Zim had confiscated them. But even through the distortion, one could extract a certain sense of achievement and pride from the man's voice. Dib strained his ears to make out the person's utterances, slowly departing from the shadowed alcove. He finally remembered the man as the uncouth scientist that had confronted him in his hospital bed, and Dib's fist clenched by themselves in agitation.
"We have made significant progress in the Project, and have successfully created a zygote using the foreign DNA material. Although the vitality of the newly formed embryo is undeterminable at this point, these first steps will soon pave the way to discovering more about the alien life unearthed at Roswell. Although the alien DNA has been cloned with a human's genetic material, it should not interfere with our research. We have noticed that a large percentage of the genetic code is similar to that of a human's."
Dib mouthed the last word in amazement, eyes alight with fascination and disquiet. His father had already divulged that Nel was a clone, but the source of her genetic material had since then been a mystery.
Sometimes being left in the dark was better then being blinded by the glow of truth. Dib listened on as monitors began to display another video clip.
"Entry 27-c.........this is Maurer, scientist for the Fern Project.........the zygote has entered mitosis soon after fusion, and the cell counts are incredible. I have never witnessed such accelerated division and growth in all my life. My colleagues and I are interested to see how long it will take before the specimen is able to leave its artificial womb."
Incredulous to the information being fed, Nel closed her eyes tightly. The Irken chuckled quietly, and then turned slightly to see that the girl was resisting his torture; his smile faded swiftly. A quick motion from his hand delivered a hard slap, the strike's noise resonating in the cavernous facility. Livid with rage, Dib nearly tossed himself forwards to tackle Zim, but caught himself in time. He could not expose himself, not yet........ Eyes forced open once more, Nel focused on the screen once more, just in time to view the next clip. The sides of her face ruddy and burning with Zim's handprint etched on her cheek with her own dripping blood.
"Entry 51-m..........Maurer of the Fern Project........" the man's face was noticeably more thin, worn with fatigue it seemed. Dib, now only arm's length from the examination table, watched intently, careful not to draw Nel's attention.
"In a mere 3 months, the specimen has reached embryonic maturity and has been delivered from its artificial womb successfully. Although the specimen's genetic code, as was earlier discovered, is similar to a human's, we have since discovered that it is in much greater abundance.
"This gives the specimen much greater mental capacities then we could have ever predicted. Its development is astonishing, and on several occasions, the specimen has even escaped from its holding pen.
"Even with such hastened development, it has become apparent that although the specimen appears humanoid, its physical body at times becomes overwhelmed by its advanced alien DNA, causing the specimen to exhibit lapses in consciousness. Great measures have been taken to keep the specimen alive, especially during experimentation."
"This.....this can't be true......" Nel finally choked out, hands thrashing about, only to be snapped back by her bonds, "This is all a lie......"
"You may wish it was, but the greatest truth is about to be revealed!" Zim cackled, stomping a boot on the ground in amusement, "Watch before I carve a matching gash on the other side of your face......."
Stricken with fear, Nel bit her lower lip and caught her breath again, another tear dousing her threadbare sweater. Dib craved to wipe those tears away; how could something so pure and innocent looking be so dangerous, like a poisonous flower, so precious and beautiful, yet at the same time volatile and unpleasant to the taste. But he reminded himself of his mission, his obligation to his Earth.......was it really worth this slow, lingering torture?
"Entry 350-t........the specimen's growth is now terrifyingly rapid," Maurer now appeared haggard, coifed hair disheveled. He didn't even bother to mention his name in the video clip at this point, or his title, his pride washed away like the ebbing tide. "At 3 years of growth, the specimen has taken the form of a young child, and has also adopted the name of our chief scientist's deceased daughter.
"The girl is frighteningly gifted, displaying an advanced intelligence like no other. Her problem solving skills have allowed her to nearly escape our maximum security facility on several occasions now, and severe actions have been taken to contain the specimen.
"Not only is the specimen clever, but it has also exhibited a power that we have yet to classify. During a routine testing, the specimen cried out, and through its vocal chords released a variety of several different notes, creating a sort of hypnotic trance; three of our scientists did not recover from the cry.......
"What is this power that the girl has? Can it be controlled? And if not, would it be right to eliminate the specimen?"
The screens abruptly went blank as the last video clip reached its end, leaving a heavy, tangible feeling of dread hanging in the air. Nel's hot breaths were the only audible noise, torn between her heart's desire to live and her unending guilt for having caused so many grief and pain.
"You are a murderer, Nel......one of the beings of Triste," Zim spoke gravely, picking up another clean blade, edging it closer and closer to her face, "No matter how hard you may try, you will always be a wretched creature of an equally wretched race. No matter how much you fight, you will always kill........it is in your blood. It is for the sake of this planet that you must now die."
"I don't........don't want to die though," sobbing uncontrollably, Nel let herself become limp on the table, "but.......I cannot go on........kill me........"
"Oh, I'm sorry to be disappointing you, Tristanum, but I won't be doing the deed tonight........" Zim smiled again, as he pressed a single red button on the table's control panel, causing it to spin around quickly. Rotating in a counter-clockwise motion, Nel shifted uncomfortable in her restraints.
She felt an invisible kick being dealt onto her heart as her eyes suddenly fell on Dib.
A tear fell from both their eyes.
~~~I didn't make it rain........~~~
Zim rushed to Dib's side, placing the blade in his pale hand, forcing the boy to grasp the handle. He then faced Nel again, teeth exposed in a particularly nasty grin.
"He will be."
Science is the ultimate double-edge sword.
Studded with technology beyond the imagination, Dib let his eyes soar through the laboratory, never blinking, never missing the chance to absorb the wonders around him. It was unbelievable, the underground facility that the Invader Zim had seemingly constructed over night. Both Dib and Zim had arrived in the sub-terrain labyrinth hours ago, but the young boy had only investigated a small portion of it; the entire place seemed to sprawl on for miles on end, sinking ever further into the earth's underworld. Every inch shined with a metallic glimmer and Dib's mind spun with envy; there were so many inventions that the human race was so far from discovering.......in some cases it may have been for the best. Several of the Irken's machines were outfitted with lasers, weapons of destruction, and Dib feared their intended uses, feared and was yet ever so curious and amazed......
With the looming walls surrounded him like metal golems, the intricate machinery monstrous and overbearing complicated, Dib, beside himself in incredulity was half-tempted to give his nemesis a congratulatory pat-on- the-back. But the raven-haired boy would be damned before setting one foot forth to praise the nefarious alien......would be cursed before he uttered a single word of admiration. No amount of scientific splendor could compel Dib to those lengths, to lose his composition.
He was in the alien's homestead of sorts, in his domain. There would be no instant in which Dib could completely let his guard falter, even if they had agreed to cooperate for this "noble" cause. In the back of his mind, always creeping towards the front lines was the notion that Zim would deceive him. It wasn't as if it was beyond the alien to betray their temporary peace. His every smile was teeming with deceit; he would never be Dib's true ally, even in this moment of desperation.
He was doing this for the sake of his planet alone; there was no other motive behind these risky actions.
"So you are admiring my work, are you?" arms crossed in front of his slender torso, Zim, stripped viper-tongue always lashing, slowly came up from behind Dib. The boy felt his flesh ripple with restlessness; the alien's smug attitude did more than cause Dib a small amount of unease.
"Yes, now that you mention it.......although I can't help but wonder why your superiors entrusted you with some of this technology......." Dib's words cut into the Irken's already inflated ego, "Some of it is obviously too advanced for the likes of you....."
"Now that's no way to treat your temporary ally, is it, worm-baby?" Zim smiled a sharp-toothed smile that seethed with frustration. The alien was apparently none too happy to be working with this filthy human. His only consolation was the doubtless assertion that Dib was none too pleased to be working with him either. Anything that caused the worm-baby an inkling of discomfort would deliver him that much more delight.......anything to watch him suffer, even in silence.
~~~Oh, and how he'll suffer.......~~~ thoughts like poison, Zim fought hard to control the laughter that was boiling to the surface. To have his number one enemy right in his grasp......it was all too perfect......too easy.
"I'm not here because I like you......not because I'd ever want to be working alongside an evil twit like you," Dib replied, as he inspected another gigantic contraption. It looked like some sort of vehicle, one that closely resembled Tak's.......
Tak.......
Dib shook his head quickly, just as the image of the female Irken wandered back into his mind like a sharp stone twisted in his side. He had forgotten her, or so he had previously thought. How foolish he had been. How foolish he still was.......now, after thinking about it for so long, love appeared to be so worthless, so dangerous. What good was love to someone as idiotic as he, he who obviously didn't know how to hold someone's heart close to his own. His mouth tightening, Dib looked away from the space-car of sorts and returned his attention to Zim, who had since drifted off to a partially empty room.
How had things turned to this? It was just last week that he had revealed himself to Nel, confessed his love, his devotion. What had he done wrong, done to deserve this....... Deep down Dib felt as if he was betraying her, leading her down the short corridor of fated doom. Guilt sliced into his whole being at the thought of her lying before Zim and his evil affinities; Dib couldn't even begin to fathom what he had in store for the Tristanum.
Why did he let this grief take hold now, in this moment of decision?
He feared for her safety even now......no matter what had come between them, the truths revealed and the trust lost, he would never want Nel to arbitrarily suffer, never want her to beg for death over torment. He didn't want to see her mouth contort in pain, see any more tears shed on his behalf.......didn't want to hear her call out his name in hope that he would save her. What could he do for her now......what could he have ever done for her in the past.
Dib felt more hopeless then ever as he waited for her eminent passing.
Soon, much too soon, she was going to die.
She was going to leave him, whether he wanted her to or not. Strapped to his feelings, the thoughts he had been fighting for so long, Dib wondered how he could hide from this pain........where could he run.......what could he use to replace the impending solitude that crept up on him like a stalking beast?
Where could he go to escape his memories.........
Would he take this shame to the grave?
Where did his heart and mind lie now, torn between what he knew was right and what his duty to the planet, his mission's demands. He was so afraid of what the repercussions of his actions would be......would he linger on with everlasting compunction. Where would he go for atonement after the deed was done.......after Nel was gone. Or would he loiter for all eternity searching for the light once more?
But he had seen the terror and havoc that her race wielded, the damage that his Earth was so vulnerable to. None of the planet's weapons of defenses could prepare or shield them to the Tristanum's attacks; nothing could save them if Nel was allowed to survive any longer.
It was for the best that she should be killed.
Then why did he still feel so guilty? Where was this knife of remorse and shame coming from, stabbing itself into his heart.......
"When will your robot be back?" Dib demanded. They had been waiting for more then an hour now, and he was growing impatient; he wanted to finish this quickly.
"Give it time, Fat-head......he'll come soon enough, with the repulsive, hideous Tristanum slime-doll in tow," turning to face an examining table of sorts, Zim sneered again, "I must admit my glee towards this event borders on uncontrollable."
"What do you plan on doing to her......it?" Dib gulped, nervously eying the equipment that Zim had pulled out from underneath the cot. It was about the size of an average bed, but looked none too comfortable, not even lined with a blanket. Constructed from some sort of metallic alloy, the table had a small keyboard jutting out of its side, with a plethora of lights and colored dials decorating the surface. But at this moment, it appeared lifeless and dormant; no sounds emanated from the terrible cot. Little knives with sharp curved blades, needles that were individually labeled in Irken script, and several other dissecting tools that seemed to smile from their tray, ready to slice into the nearest victim. Dib shivered. "I thought our plan was to merely eliminate the alien, to protect the planet from the Tristanum fleet."
"And we shall, my stupid little friend, we shall! The whole fleet will feel the tremor as we put down another one of their insipid little servants!" gloved fingers intertwined within one another, Zim quickly dashed over to a row of 4 immensely large, all pitch black except for a few Irken letters blinking in the upper right-hand corner. Several keyboards, all foreign to Dib, were arranged beneath them, and Zim was hurriedly tapping away at them. As he did, several flood lamps inundated the room with light, nearly blinding Dib, his eyes dilating from behind thick lenses.
"Then what is all this?" Dib eyed the knifes again warily, but before he could continue, a small creature bounded up from behind him, nearly colliding into his planted body.
"Master!!!! GIR is BAAACKK!!!!" the automaton shrieked aloud, scaring the daylights out of Dib as he side-stepped just in time to let the small silver and green robot streak by. Much to his hidden relief, Dib noticed that the robot's hands were empty.......maybe she had eluded him.......
"And finally, you moronic compilation of......oh never mind......." fighting to control his temper towards the inept GIR, Zim raised an eyebrow menacingly, "did you bring the girl? Did you capture her?"
"Of coooourse......silly-head......" GIR squealed as he started to suck on a half- eaten lollipop, giving a wave of surety with his free hand.
"And?" becoming more and more irritated, Zim began to tap his foot incessantly. As the robot continued to eat his candy, Dib, still in the adjacent room, felt beads of sweat begin to drip down his back. If she wasn't here, then where? Would she still be in the lab? Had she escaped? Realizing that the half-witted robot was now completely ignoring rim, a river of sugary drool forming at his metal feet, Zim stomped his boots in frustration.
"GIR!!! Stop your insipid candy-eating at once!" he ranted, bopping the robot on top of its head. The harsh impact jostled the machine's virtual brain back into place, as Dib observed the robot's eyes rapidly changing to a deep shade of crimson. Their ruddiness poured into Dib's soul so much that he barely recognized the normally scatterbrained automaton; he was reminded once more that every face hides two personas.
~~~Nel......~~~
"Yes, Sir!!!" standing straight and proud, the soldier-like robot abruptly dashing out of the room, its metallic feet clanging on the ground rapidly, their echo resounding in the room for several seconds. Dib was clinging onto the edge of his wits, wondering if Zim's accomplice had succeeding in apprehending Nel. "The prisoner is in the detention cell. What are your orders, Sir?"
"Splendid, GIR, splendid........bring the Tristanum before me now and prepare her for the.......analysis," licking him lips greedily, Zim pivoted around on one of his booted feet, glaring into Dib's face now, "This won't be long, I assure you."
"But this wasn't what we agreed on!" exasperated, Dib unconsciously found himself backing away into a wall, "There was no mention of.....of this!"
He felt beneath the strands of hair on his head a thick blanket of sweat forming, dribbling down the sides of his face, becoming absorbed in the collar of his signature, black trench coat. Some drops seeped into his eyes, stung, and he quickly wiped away the perspiration, flinching only slightly. Still beaming with delight, Zim reached out with both of his hands, spider-like fingers leering towards Dib's shoulders. Suddenly, without reason, the alien grabbed him tightly with both hands, drew him closely, too close. Their faces were but a few centimeters apart, and Dib could feel the repulsive Irken's breath surging upon his nostrils. He gave another involuntary flinch.
"I thought we might have a bit of fun before disposing of the girl........yes, a bit of scientific exploration that no specie has ever undertook," Zim said, still keeping Dib in his grasps, "I want to see her writhe in pain, pay for the deaths her people have caused mine.......I want to her to realize what a mistake she has made coming to this stupid planet, this orb of maggoty maggots like you........."
"Now that's no way to treat your temporary ally," Dib mocked sourly, shrugging himself free, shoulders tingling from the Irken's tight hold. Zim's strength belied his small stature; he had found that out during any of their scuffles. "I don't want to be a part of your massacre......."
"But you already are, you already are," satisfied with the anxiety he had inflicted upon Dib, Zim returned to the examination table, gloved fingers racing along the on-board computer. It was now active and whirring, and with a chime, a multitude of black and blue metal straps sprung forth from the sides of the bench, laying at the contraptions sides in wait. "As you may have failed to notice, my slave has returned with our specimen......."
Mind racing, blind with confusion and guilt, all connected by strings of hatred, Dib snapped his head around, neck straining. The robot Zim had called GIR was indeed back in the room with them, standing in front of a shadowed figure, naked save for a tattered and shabby sweater, oversized and splattered with a red substance that was undeniably her own blood. Dib smiled grimly; she must have put up some sort of fight during her submission. GIR lead the person towards her coffin and grave, eyes still throbbing with a scarlet radiance, leading her with a chain that was tightly coiled around her thin, fragile neck. She did not look up at Dib; did she know that he stood before him now, in her last waking moments? A silent hope inside of him prayed that she would not see him at all.
"Lead the Tristanum onto the table, GIR," Zim ordered, giving quick glances in Dib's direction, as if to tease him. But the bespectacled teenager simply stood fast in place, lips dry, heart rapping against his ribcage like a lion fighting to be free from its cage. GIR did as he was told, forcefully directing Nel onto the vacant bed, all while roughly removing her chains. Nel was glad to be without the cumbersome shackles, but knew that something worse was bound to come.
She was instantly reminded of her Rose Room, the hollow sanctuary that doubled as her prison. Reminded of the sleepless nights spent alone, the crying that took place after being mercilessly beaten by her mother.
Reminded of the experiments that awaited her day in and day out.
The robot that had attacked her in Professor Membrane's laboratory shoved her atop the steel reinforced table, and the straps, as if compelled by some unseen force, suddenly launched themselves towards her shaking, quivering body. Not giving her time enough to struggle, not even to gasp, Nel soon found herself bound to the table's cold surface; goose bumps formed along her bare arms and legs as tears began to flood her soft, brown eyes.
Where was her savior now........where was Dib.......did he hate her?
Everyone seemed to hate her. No matter how hard she tried, she always seemed to disappoint.
Tossing her head from side to side, muted whimpers barely passing her clenched teeth, Nel's sight barely missed catching hold of Dib's presence as he leapt into a small alcove, hidden in the shade. He gave a long, heart- aching sigh, rubbing the back of his neck slowly with one sweaty palm.
The knives from the dissection table's tray seemed to gleam in bloody anticipation.
What fate was the Irken going to condemn Nel to? Dib felt his forehead becoming hot with frustration. Would he simply stand and watch as Zim slowly tore her apart, slowly killing her like a person being buried alive?
Was he truly a moral person?
"You're probably wondering why I've brought you here........" Zim began, voice rich with victory. He picked up one of his autopsy tools, a blade with a long thin handle, and held it between two of his fingers, let it swivel slowly. Eyes soaked with terror, Nel let her jaws hang open, tongue arid and mouth waterless now.
"You can speak, can you? Speak!!!"
"I........I......." Nel stuttered pitifully, but before she could squeeze out another word, Zim let his hand lash forward, a silver line cutting through the air as his blade left a small rent across her delicate face. Her skin peeled apart where the razor edge had kissed her, but she showed no sign of pain, save a single tear that trailed down her cheek, falling on the table beneath her.
"Too slow.......much too slow you piece of Tristanum filth......." the Irken used his tongue to lick her blood off of the knife before setting it back onto the tray. "Even your blood is foul......."
Zim relished in seeing the girl's blood washing down her face; the cut had been tiny and clean, but had been made deep enough so that a rivulet of burgundy fluid now painted her skin.
~~~Was her name........Nel?~~~
"Perhaps you really do not have a single simple-minded clue.......how sad........" Zim clucked his viper-tongue in false-sympathy as he slowly sauntered to the row of screens that were set along the expansive wall. "I've waited my entire life to prove myself to the Tallest, to prove myself without the use of sweets and candy........and now I finally can........
"But before we start, I'd thought I'd let you enjoy some video clips I just happened to stumble upon; I'm sure you'll find them highly enjoyable and entertaining."
A smile filled with malice was painted upon his face with oils of cruelty and wickedness. Bringing his attention back to his control panel, Zim commenced a long series of button taps and dial turns, fully concentrated on the task at hand, heart fluttering with eagerness. From her vantage point, Nel felt like a animal about to be cut open, except she knew what about to happen, was completely aware of this harsh reality that was beginning to unfold in front of her. She wished she were more ignorant, wished the end would come quickly. She wished she had never been born.
"Ah-ha.......here we go.......now watch my little friend.......watch and be informed of your crimes," apparently satisfied, Zim stepped away from the keypads and monitors, skirting back to Nel's side, almost tempted to drag Dib out of his hiding nook, let the blade of guilt sink into the human's flesh deeper yet. But his time would come; Zim would make sure of this. A lone figure appeared on the screen, the picture itself being somewhat shoddy; Dib could barely make out the person's face as lines as static coursed across the monitor, although a feeling of déjà vu was starting to overwhelm him. Had he seen this person before? How long ago?
"Entry 45-a.......this is Maurer, chief scientist for the Fern Project," the man spoke in garbled words; the video had obviously been unkempt before Zim had confiscated them. But even through the distortion, one could extract a certain sense of achievement and pride from the man's voice. Dib strained his ears to make out the person's utterances, slowly departing from the shadowed alcove. He finally remembered the man as the uncouth scientist that had confronted him in his hospital bed, and Dib's fist clenched by themselves in agitation.
"We have made significant progress in the Project, and have successfully created a zygote using the foreign DNA material. Although the vitality of the newly formed embryo is undeterminable at this point, these first steps will soon pave the way to discovering more about the alien life unearthed at Roswell. Although the alien DNA has been cloned with a human's genetic material, it should not interfere with our research. We have noticed that a large percentage of the genetic code is similar to that of a human's."
Dib mouthed the last word in amazement, eyes alight with fascination and disquiet. His father had already divulged that Nel was a clone, but the source of her genetic material had since then been a mystery.
Sometimes being left in the dark was better then being blinded by the glow of truth. Dib listened on as monitors began to display another video clip.
"Entry 27-c.........this is Maurer, scientist for the Fern Project.........the zygote has entered mitosis soon after fusion, and the cell counts are incredible. I have never witnessed such accelerated division and growth in all my life. My colleagues and I are interested to see how long it will take before the specimen is able to leave its artificial womb."
Incredulous to the information being fed, Nel closed her eyes tightly. The Irken chuckled quietly, and then turned slightly to see that the girl was resisting his torture; his smile faded swiftly. A quick motion from his hand delivered a hard slap, the strike's noise resonating in the cavernous facility. Livid with rage, Dib nearly tossed himself forwards to tackle Zim, but caught himself in time. He could not expose himself, not yet........ Eyes forced open once more, Nel focused on the screen once more, just in time to view the next clip. The sides of her face ruddy and burning with Zim's handprint etched on her cheek with her own dripping blood.
"Entry 51-m..........Maurer of the Fern Project........" the man's face was noticeably more thin, worn with fatigue it seemed. Dib, now only arm's length from the examination table, watched intently, careful not to draw Nel's attention.
"In a mere 3 months, the specimen has reached embryonic maturity and has been delivered from its artificial womb successfully. Although the specimen's genetic code, as was earlier discovered, is similar to a human's, we have since discovered that it is in much greater abundance.
"This gives the specimen much greater mental capacities then we could have ever predicted. Its development is astonishing, and on several occasions, the specimen has even escaped from its holding pen.
"Even with such hastened development, it has become apparent that although the specimen appears humanoid, its physical body at times becomes overwhelmed by its advanced alien DNA, causing the specimen to exhibit lapses in consciousness. Great measures have been taken to keep the specimen alive, especially during experimentation."
"This.....this can't be true......" Nel finally choked out, hands thrashing about, only to be snapped back by her bonds, "This is all a lie......"
"You may wish it was, but the greatest truth is about to be revealed!" Zim cackled, stomping a boot on the ground in amusement, "Watch before I carve a matching gash on the other side of your face......."
Stricken with fear, Nel bit her lower lip and caught her breath again, another tear dousing her threadbare sweater. Dib craved to wipe those tears away; how could something so pure and innocent looking be so dangerous, like a poisonous flower, so precious and beautiful, yet at the same time volatile and unpleasant to the taste. But he reminded himself of his mission, his obligation to his Earth.......was it really worth this slow, lingering torture?
"Entry 350-t........the specimen's growth is now terrifyingly rapid," Maurer now appeared haggard, coifed hair disheveled. He didn't even bother to mention his name in the video clip at this point, or his title, his pride washed away like the ebbing tide. "At 3 years of growth, the specimen has taken the form of a young child, and has also adopted the name of our chief scientist's deceased daughter.
"The girl is frighteningly gifted, displaying an advanced intelligence like no other. Her problem solving skills have allowed her to nearly escape our maximum security facility on several occasions now, and severe actions have been taken to contain the specimen.
"Not only is the specimen clever, but it has also exhibited a power that we have yet to classify. During a routine testing, the specimen cried out, and through its vocal chords released a variety of several different notes, creating a sort of hypnotic trance; three of our scientists did not recover from the cry.......
"What is this power that the girl has? Can it be controlled? And if not, would it be right to eliminate the specimen?"
The screens abruptly went blank as the last video clip reached its end, leaving a heavy, tangible feeling of dread hanging in the air. Nel's hot breaths were the only audible noise, torn between her heart's desire to live and her unending guilt for having caused so many grief and pain.
"You are a murderer, Nel......one of the beings of Triste," Zim spoke gravely, picking up another clean blade, edging it closer and closer to her face, "No matter how hard you may try, you will always be a wretched creature of an equally wretched race. No matter how much you fight, you will always kill........it is in your blood. It is for the sake of this planet that you must now die."
"I don't........don't want to die though," sobbing uncontrollably, Nel let herself become limp on the table, "but.......I cannot go on........kill me........"
"Oh, I'm sorry to be disappointing you, Tristanum, but I won't be doing the deed tonight........" Zim smiled again, as he pressed a single red button on the table's control panel, causing it to spin around quickly. Rotating in a counter-clockwise motion, Nel shifted uncomfortable in her restraints.
She felt an invisible kick being dealt onto her heart as her eyes suddenly fell on Dib.
A tear fell from both their eyes.
~~~I didn't make it rain........~~~
Zim rushed to Dib's side, placing the blade in his pale hand, forcing the boy to grasp the handle. He then faced Nel again, teeth exposed in a particularly nasty grin.
"He will be."