The base was quiet for once.
Zim reclined lazily in the curved seat at the heart of the labs, munching an Irken sandwich. He had sent GIR out with money for tacos and instructions to come back that afternoon; he wanted to peruse Dib's files at his leisure, with no distractions from his insane minion.
Dib's computer had a thick grey cable plugged into one of the interface ports, and this cord wormed its way into a plug at the bottom of a larger view screen. The laptop's screen was flipped up anyway; Zim rather enjoyed watching it flicker as file after file was cut cleanly out and poured into his own databanks. It was watching all of Dib's hard work be sliced away, piece after piece, and not a THING the human could do about it…! Pure pleasure.
The screen gave one more jerky shimmer, then snapped to black. The house computer spoke. "Hey, master, that was everything. What do you want to do with the little guy now?"
Zim crammed the crust of the sandwich into his mouth and sat forward, antennae flicking up attentively. "Eh? Oh, I don't know…" He flopped his hand back and forth aimlessly, and then slammed the screen of the computer down. "You're sure you got everything?"
"Right down to the Operating System," it replied. "You want I should liquefy the circuits?" A chute opened up at Zim's elbow. He picked up the computer, held it over the dark orifice for a moment, and then with an internal shrug he set it aside. Maybe he would give it back to Dib for the human to play with later. It might be funny to watch him pitch a fit.
"I'll save it for now," he said. "Now I wish to see what's on here… go and.. uhh.. do not watch Zim! You can tell me when Dib gets here. Yeah."
"Fine, fine," the house computer grumbled back. "I did all the work and don't even get to see? Sheeeesh…"
The alien pulled the cable from the ports and wound it neatly. He had to do something to let off the manic glee he felt building up; Zim knew that if he didn't move to exorcise his energy he would find himself bursting into activity that would throw off his careful calculations. This plan of his, such a plan it was too… had to be taken carefully, delicately, step by step. And Dib needed to be out of the way.
Zim tapped at touch-sensitive screens now, flipping through piece after piece of the puzzle that was Dib. At first the files weren't terribly exciting, just photos of him doing everything- walking GIR, watching TV, walking to skool, plotting. The pictures were only of him in his disguise, of course. If Dib had gotten any solid evidence Zim would probably have been on an autopsy table a long time ago. The alien didn't doubt his rival's intense desire to see Zim brought down.
Here, now, was more interesting territory- file after file of notes, jumbled and incomplete but still beginning to assemble a foundation of accurate information. Dib truly was exceptional, for a human- with few resources and no support from the people around him he had managed to assemble a good deal of information about Zim. Here there was a sketchy map of Zim's base, possible infiltration routes and weaknesses. There, a grid chart of the front yard with the firing range of each gnome drawn in red. Another file opened to reveal a computer-done drawing of GIR, complete with speculation on how the crazy little robot worked. Zim conceded to himself that he had never been able to work that out either, and grinned as he noted that the Dib was as puzzled as he was.
Zim closed those windows and opened a folder at random. This was filled with smaller files; Zim scrolled idly to the bottom and double-clicked to open the last and smallest one. It was almost an empty page; there was only a sentence at the top. Dib must have been interrupted before managing to write more.
I know that Zim's plotting something awful, and I'm going to stop him like I always--
And that was all.
Zim tipped his head a little, quizzical, then he grinned hugely. It was the beginning of a journal entry! The Dib human was actually keeping a journal on his laptop! It was unbelievably stupid of the little worm. Now here were pages and pages of his most personal musings, all at the fingertips of ZIM!
The alien clicked out of that file, giggling to himself. He scrolled up to the top file and opened that one. This was a long entry, the longest of all of them. Zim sneered at its size. You TALK too much, human! Too much for your own good!
The page opened right into Dib's hysterical raving.
This is the beginning of a new year I guess. Three in the morning on the first of January. There's nothing special going on, of course. Zim's base is quiet. I can see the TV flickering through his window; it's probably that little robot GIR or whatever. I don't know why he keeps that thing around.
Is there a point to all this? I kind of have to wonder. Seems like when I was eleven chasing after Zim was still so important. But now I'm fifteen years old and shouldn't I have other things to be doing? I'd like to get past this someday. Maybe meet a nice girl. But while Zim is running free I can never rest! If there was anyone who meant anything to me he would only use them against me.
Christmas was a week ago. Nothing special happened. We didn't set up a tree or anything, and we didn't exchange presents. Except dad gave me an envelope with two hundred dollars in it and a free pass to a therapist, which is the same thing he gives me every year. I think Gaz got the same thing, minus therapist pass. Is there any change to this? I can't remember when he gave me anything but that. It's a new year, right? A new slate. But we never take that chance. We just walk the same old road.
I never make New Year's resolutions, but just this once I think I will. I'd like to move on a little this year, make real headway against Zim! The world can't stay against me forever, right? Someday people have to realize what he is, realize what I've been doing for all these years, and then they'll give me what I deserve!
This year, I'll beat Zim. I'll defeat him once and for all. I can feel it.
Zim's lips pulled back from his teeth in an ugly, offended snarl. He spoke to the text as if his rival was there to hear him. "Defeat ZIM?! You, stinky dirtchild, defeat ZIM?! Never!" He vaulted to his feet, pointed accusingly at the screen. "The day that you defeat ZIM will be the day that… eh… the sun goes cold in your sky! And then you'll be DEAD, so it won't matter anyway! Will it?! Will it?! Huh?!"
He picked up the computer again, held it thoughtfully in his claws. It was more tempting then ever to destroy it now, to maybe pulp a little of the Dib's arrogance. But Zim held it still, closer to his heart, pushing down the tidal waves of rage that rocked his form as best he could. Quelling anger was not a thing he was used to and the necessity of doing it tore at him.
A part of him hoped that Dib would show up soon, so he could vent this poison on someone.
The house AI made a noise like static, the computer equivalent of clearing its throat. Zim hardly looked up. "What, what?!" he demanded irritably. "I already told you, you can't see the Dib's files!"
"It's not that," the machine snapped back, sounding put out. "The Dib human is up there. He's throwing rocks."
Zim smiled, Cheshire huge and dangerous. "Is he?" he murmured. "Take me to the house level!"
There he slid the monkey painting down to reveal the view screen that was concealed behind it. There were cameras planted in each of the gnome heads, and he ordered one of the robot sentinels to rotate to face the head of the walk. Dib was indeed standing there, dressed in his stealth suit and flipping a rock up and back into his hand again and again. The boy was flushed deep red with fury, peering at the gnomes as if he knew Zim was watching them. "Zim, you jerk!" he shouted. Dib's voice was still breaking and it cracked a little on the high note. "I want my computer back and I know you have it! And what are you working on anyway? C'mon, tell me!" He flung the rock neatly at Zim's window, and the last, flawless pane exploded into a shower of glass shards. The rock shot past Zim's head and hit the wall to fall with the others Dib had used.
Zim looked at the fractured window and hissed furiously. Then he ran over to it and poked his head out to shout at the human. "Stinky DIB! You dare throw ROCKS through the windows of ZIM?!" He shook a tiny fist at the boy. "Your cowardice knows no end! Zim tells NO ONE of his brilliant plots! NO ONE!"
He ducked down as another rock zinged by his head, grinning wickedly. Now if Dib played the way Zim wanted him too…
He could already hear Dib bolting across the lawn, the clanks as the gnomes moved into defense mode. Zim skittered into the kitchen and dove neatly into the garbage can as Dib plunged through the window. The human boy saw his rival disappear and promptly dove after him.
Mistake number one.
The chute let out into a long hall, lined on both sides with bubbling tubes and blinking, softly glowing computer consoles. Zim rolled out and to the left, behind on row of tubes, and waited for only a second. Then Dib came tumbling out behind him, a little clumsier but still adept and agile for a human. He rolled neatly across the slick metal floor and hunched against the control banks, breathing hard, eyes flicking wildly, suddenly realizing exactly what he had gotten himself into. Zim could almost feel the push of air on his antennae as Dib inhaled and exhaled.
The boy apparently decided to go for stealth; he slipped behind the opposite row of tubes. The bubbling orange liquid distorted him horribly for a moment, and then his skinny form disappeared into the shadows behind him. The stealth suits looked stupid on him but they really worked well for concealment, Zim had to admit.
He cocked his head now, considering. Then he crawled to the end of the row, pausing to look and listen. Zim detected no aberrations in movement that would give the Dib away, but he waited for another moment anyway before crawling quickly and loudly out to get to the next hall. There he squirmed under a rolling lab table and molded himself into the darkness.
The seconds ticked by. Zim restrained himself from squirming and listened instead, filtering out the extraneous humming of machinery.
His patience was rewarded when a foot set itself down carefully, right in front of his face. Zim actually stuffed his hand into his mouth to restrain manic laughter.
Dib was enthralled, had probably forgotten his rival entirely, caught up in regarding the marvelous technology that surrounded him. Impressed yet, human? Zim thought, waiting even more. It was so hard to hold back…
Dib turned half around, pivoting his weight on one foot. He was off balance- the perfect moment.
Zim catapulted out from under the table, which tipped over with a crash, raining scalpels and probes across the floor. Dib was half turned and it saved him from taking the whole weight of Zim's assault, but the alien caught him hard in one shoulder and the human fell with a sharp yelp. They rolled together, Dib thrashing wildly, uncontrolled, Zim trying to lock his claws around the humans throat. He had just got a bit of a grip when Dib managed to bring a foot up and piston it into Zim just below his ribs. The smaller Irken flopped off, a little stunned, blood gilding his claws. There were angry red marks collaring Dib's neck; the boy sat up, touched one gingerly, looked at Zim with raw hate in his eyes.
Zim had rolled away and was standing now, breathing hard. There were little sucking twinges emanating from his chest, and he had to wonder if Dib hadn't done some damage with that last kick. If the boy had he would never know it.
Zim was standing now, cocky grin back in place, tossing a silvery cone-shaped something in his claws, as Dib had been tossing his rock. "You wanted to find out what I was working on?" He breathed. "C'mere, Dib…"
The human stood up, suddenly realizing exactly how much danger he was in. Then he bolted.
Dib pounded back into the hall of tubes, looking frantically for the exit; the chute was contracting rapidly, turning into a small dimple in the wall. Dib raced for it, got his head and shoulders through, managed to squirm the rest of the way in. He heard Zim howl angrily from outside and almost sighed with relief but he knew he wasn't out of the woods yet. The chute was lit with small orange lights; he could faintly see rungs gleaming up into darkness. And emergency exit, he supposed, if something happened to debilitate the base…
Dib locked his sweaty hands around the thin metal and scampered up. Light flared underneath him; Zim had apparently got the computer to open the entryway. "I'm gonna getcha, DIB!" Zim roared after him, his high voice distorted horribly, winding around Dib like a nightmare, and the human had to fight off chills.
Dib scrambled up one more rung and hit his head so hard on something that small bright stars bloomed in front of his eyes. He could smell something piney now, and realized with almost tearful relief that he was at the house level. He shoved the lid of the garbage can open and hurled himself out.
Zim caught up with him two steps from the door, hurling his tiny weight between Dib's shoulders and bearing the larger human down. Dib sank his teeth into his lower lip and tasted metal. Spider legs whipped from Zim's pak and caged their struggle in; Dib squirmed in a silent frenzy of terror.
"You wanted to find out what I was working on?" Zim whispered hoarsely, practically into Dib's ear. "Here, I'll show you."
He was holding something in his hand. The human craned his head around just in time to see Zim push something sharp into the flesh just below his elbow.
It hurt amazingly for about a second, sending shock waves of agony booming down Dib's nerves; then it went numb, so much more terrifying. Dib contorted, tearing at where the silver probe was drilling down into his yielding flesh. It was not pain now but pressure, like the feeling of wisdom teeth being removed. Blood slicked his fingers; he could SEE the damage but there was nothing to confirm it was really happening.
Zim withdrew his spider legs and backed off a bit to regard the squirming, mewling human who was tearing frantically at his own skin. The probe had worked perfectly. "Maybe I'll let you go now Dib," he said out loud. "You've been a pretty good test subject. Hey, are you listening to me?!"
The human was not. The skin where the device had drilled into him was patching now, stimulated by the Irken nanobots that the probe released to seal over and repair where it had been inserted. Dib was still digging at the skin, tearing wildly and with frantic abandon. His eyes were dilated hugely and Zim could smell consuming terror permeating the air around him.
The alien stepped forward, Dib glanced up wildly, and then he bolted for the door.
Zim let him go.
END OF CHAPTER 6
Well, FINALLY, huh? Sorry about taking so long, I lost a little momentum on this. The end is nowhere near, though, so don't fret. SOMEDAY this'll get done. XD
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter; thanks for taking the time to read. Should probably mention here that I'll be gone for two weeks starting now so no updates for a while… but you're used to that, right? ;P
Chapter finished July 29, 2004