Zim cursed. His hands were shaking and his squeedly spooch was twisting and churning.

It's just not possible! His mind howled. How could this have happened?

…………………………………………………

Every breath hurt, every muscle screamed. Dib groaned feverishly, clenching and unclenching his fists. He could feel the computer's robotic arms probing him, checking his condition. He wanted nothing more than to shove them away, but he had no strength. With his mind clouded by pain, his imagination ran unfettered.

I'll never see earth again. Zim will take me back to Irk and present me as a live display to his Tallest. I'll be gawked at, poked at, and dissected live over and over again. I'll be their science project; their only living earth specimen. No, Zim will keep me here in orbit and destroy earth cause I'm not there to stop him. Then he'll come back and torment me whenever he's in a bad mood to cheer himself up. I'll live the rest of my days being torn apart and sealed back together. But—he started, moaning as the motion pulled at his stitches. Isn't that exactly what I was going to do to Zim? Hysterical laughter bubbled up in his throat and he laughed great, raspy laughs, crying from the pain, but unable to stop.

Cosmic justice to the highest degree.

…………………………………………………

Zim marched down the hall, his boot steps echoing. Poking his head into sickbay, he peered at Dib. He seemed conscious enough. Confident, Zim marched in. Dib's eyes widened and he tried to roll away, but shrieked at the pain.

Zim reached him and clamped one set of claws around his skull. Within seconds he located the hole he had drilled and shoved in a second chip.

…………………………………………………

Terror coursed through Dib. A sense of otherness invaded his mind, grasping for knowledge, searching for memories. He fought, he formed a wall of will and barricaded his mind. But the searching tendrils swatted them aside and penetrated his memories. He watched helplessly as his life flashed by him.

Dib, even the oddest things have great worth.

What do you think you're doing! You must never touch…

You brought them! You betrayed—

Pieces of hair and green skin fly, her violet eyes wide in shock.

--forgive you—

You are my Dib, don't forget—

…………………………………………………

Astonished, Zim stared in fascination as great drops of water poured from Dib's eyes. The human seemed to be having trouble breathing, but a brief examination revealed the situation was temporary.

Reaching a claw into the hole, he grasped the chip and pulled it from Dib's head. Satisfied, Zim rushed from the room, heading for the viewing room.