"What!" intoned Zim, frustrated that he had been denied, and by his own ship. "What is the meaning of this? Why did the cannons not fire!"
He depressed the fire button again and again, but each time it merely lit up and absolutely nothing else happened. The ship's power gauge indicated weapons were fully charged, and other sensors indicated no damage, and yet he couldn't destroy the target waiting right there in front of him, oh so close in front of him.
"Computer!" he shrieked, his irritation knowing no bounds. "Status report!"
He awaited the ship's reply, and then, almost as if on cue, lights began to flicker off in the cockpit, enshrouding Zim and Gir in increasing amounts of shadow.
"Power drain critical!" came the militaristic tone from the computer, as displays functioning normally just seconds before began to go black. Just like the Megadoomer, thought Zim, and he winced at the memory of his having had to self-destruct the most powerful stealth automaton in the Irken military - a robot nothing like Gir, whose eyes were now lit up like flashlights in response to the growing darkness.
"Woooow," mused the little bot, spinning his head around slowly, eye beams breaking up the inky surroundings like an Earth lighthouse, as Zim pounded the ship's controls in frustration.
"I need power!" he screamed. "I need power or I - won't have any!"
The Voot Runner's audio speakers then crackled and Zim suddenly realized that the crew of the other vessel had probably heard everything he had just said.
"Oops," squeaked Zim meekly.
"If you're done trying to destroy us, we're prepared to offer you assistance," said Leela sarcastically.
"Yeah, nice job there, o mighty Invader! Hee hee hee hee!" laughed Bender.
"Silence!" roared Zim, embarrassed and angry, but otherwise pretty much helpless.
"Well, it looks like your ship is having some trouble to us," offered Fry, who was no astro-mechanic by any means.
"There is no trouble!" spouted Zim, trying not to sound exasperated. "I am merely trying to, uh, conserve energy!" He worked buttons and dials and levers, hoping something would snap back to life, but nothing - no weapons, no scanners, nothing except audio communications and life support, and even those were not up to peak performance.
"Look, Zim, do you want a tow or not?" offered Leela, more than a hint of irritation in her voice. "We'll take you back to Planet Express and see if we can help you fix your ship."
Zim ground his teeth together, furious at having to accept aid of any kind, but he knew there was no way he could repair the Voot Cruiser under these conditions. He would take their help at this time, yes, he would take it, but at the first opportunity, these filthy beings would pay for their mockery.
"Oh, how they will pay!" he promised, shaking his fist at the canopy - and then he realized he had said that part out loud.
"Pay for what?" queried Bender, who was always more focused on taking money from individuals rather than giving it to them.
"Oh, uh, nothing," replied Zim quickly. "Very well, humans, I will accept your 'tow'."
"Fine," answered Leela, as Bender scowled at being lumped in with the fleshlings, smoke wafting from his cigar just below the "No Smoking" sign on the bridge.
"Standby for deployment of tow net," added Leela as she tripped a switch on the captain's console and gears and other devices began to hum.
"What is this 'tow net'?" asked Zim nervously, and then he saw the bay doors on the underside of the Planet Express ship open methodically, and a large mesh sack extend downwards on a robotic arm.
"What are you ..." began Zim, and then suddenly the sack shot forward and enveloped the Voot Runner, faster than Zim and Gir could react.
"Ahhhh!" cried Zim as he tumbled head-over-heels to the back of his craft, with Gir along for the ride yelling happily, especially with all his chicken wings and dressing gone.
"Weee-hoooo!" howled Gir with joy, before he impacted against the back of the Voot Runner along with his master, Zim, who dropped flat in the floor, nearly unconscious. For once Zim offered no reproach as the Planet Express ship surged forward with the alien craft trailing behind it, the linked vessels now headed for Earth.
TBC
