Cooperation

Zim tapped a gloved claw against his chin impatiently. He watched with disdain as the Dib human jotted down another dumb idea for their potential school project.

"Okay so what about this," the boy suggested, holding up his new design. It was a blueprint illustrated on graph paper of a large machine residing on an even larger body of water. "It's called a desalinization plant. We use it to remove salt from seawater and it make it drinkable as freshwater. It's nothing new, but I thought we could find a way to design it more efficiently."

Zim reached over and crumpled up the sheet before tossing it into the collection of other rejected proposals.

"I despise anything that involves me anywhere near that horrible substance," he spat in disgust.

Dib frowned. "Come on Zim. You've turned down everything else. Why can't we just do this one?"

"Idiotic fool!" Zim stiffened in response. "Have you forgotten what that vile liquid does to my skin!

"We don't have to actually be in water to build it. We'd just be constructing a model. Not building the actual thing!"

"What's the purpose of building something if it doesn't even work?"

Dib looked at him sarcastically.

"Gee Zim, I could ask you the same question, seeing how HALF the plans you come up with NEVER SEEM TO WORK!"

Zim jumped up onto the table. "You dare question MY genius you insolent, festering dirt child?! I've created countless inventions before you were born. You should be grateful I'm even offering my help!"

Unwilling to back down, Dib mimicked the gesture.

"Yeah, so what Zim?" he countered, stepping forward. "I've stopped most of your inventions with some my own! And maybe instead of criticizing, you should try to sit down and actually listen to what I have to say for once!"

Like two thick-headed rams, they stubbornly butted heads in the fit of their argument. Not realizing their conversation had escalated into a shouting match, they began to draw the attention of the other students around them.

"Your voices are like sandpaper," Gaz groaned agonizingly, setting her tray down casually onto the table. "You do realize everyone's staring at you right?"

The two rivals stopped shouting and looked around the room. The looks they were receiving were curious, and they climbed down from the table sheepishly to avoid suspicion.

"Look, we're not getting anywhere arguing," Dib added, ignoring how the other students had already turned away to go back to their business. "Let's just build this thing out of scrap metal so we can get back to repairing your base."

Zim huffed at the idea, but he knew the boy was right. Unlike most other students, the problem wasn't coming up with something they could actually design, but something that wouldn't be too advanced to draw too much attention. Using inferior equipment irritated him, but he had made it very clear that his technology was off limits. Or at least until his base could be repaired. And that meant they were forced to design something using the human's tools.

"And there won't be ANY water involved?" Zim questioned, eying the boy suspiciously.

"None that would cause you significant harm," Dib answered in return.

Zim frowned and studied the human carefully. "Fine. We will build this desalinization plant. Then what?"

"Then we show it to the judges."

"Judges?"

The Irken's antennae perked up.

"Do they vaporize all other losing competitors?" he asked curiously.

Dib only stared at him flabbergasted. "What? No. They just pick the top three best projects and reward the winners with a prize."

Zim brought a finger to his chin. "Hmm, a prize you say. So these judges determine your worth based on the adequacy of your work. Interesting."

"And this year one of them happens to be my dad," Dib continued, ignoring Zim's comment. His posture deflated. "He's so excited that I will be building something using REAL science that I couldn't possibly get away with anything too simple. It has to be decent enough to impress him, but that almost never happens."

"Pfft. Yeah, thanks for getting him to cancel family night again," griped Gaz, interrupting the conversation. "Just remember, I get to pick where we eat three times in a row now."

With a tired expression, Dib turned to face his sister. "You know, there's more to life than pizza Gaz."

As if he had just broken her favorite Gameslave game, Gaz immediately shot him a death glare.

Dib did his best to let the subject drop, knowing it was better than to face her infamous wrath. It seemed enough to satisfy his angry sibling because she then aggressively bit into her apple and turned away, making it a point to chew louder than normal.

Dib rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Zim. Curiosity, the alien seemed to be completely lost in thought.

"Zim?" he questioned, trying to get his attention.

Zim ignored him and continued looking straight ahead.

Judges? Superiors that decide our worth depending on on our performance?

For some reason, the thought disturbed him more than he cared to admit.

"Zim?" Dib waved his hand in front of the Irken's face, hoping to licit some sort of response. "Hey space boy! I'm talking to you!"

Regaining his focus, Zim vigorously shook his head. "What is it stink meat?"

"You blanked out for over a minute." Dib added, crossing his arms in suspicion. "You weren't planning on stealing the projects at the science fair were you?"

Zim lifted a claw to his chin. "No, but now that you mention it, that would be an ingenious plan."

Annoyed, Dib lifted the tiny milk carton from his tray and brought it up to his mouth.

"Hate to break it to you Zim," he explained, preparing to take a sip, "but most of those projects will probably be magnet tricks and paper volcanoes spitting up baking soda. Most kids my age aren't advanced enough to come up with anything that impressive."

Zim lifted a claw in response.

"Then I will just have to find a REAL volcano and get it to spit up REAL vinegar!" he shouted garishly.

Dib ignored the Irken and downed the milk while Zim continued to mumble on.

"No," the alien muttered as if unaware he was talking to himself, "with the base inoperable, there's no way I could cause an explosion of that magnitude." He gritted his teeth in frustration. "CURSE MY DESIRE TO ANNIHILATE EVERYTHING IN MY PATH!"

Dib nearly spat out his milk in response.

"Wait, you destroyed your OWN base?" he blurted out loud at the Irken.

Zim paused. "Eh, of course not! What is this nonsense you speak of?"

Still laughing, Dib wiped his mouth with his coat sleeve. "Wow. That's really stupid Zim! Even for you. What kind of invader goes around destroying his own base?"

Zim crossed his arms. "The kind that will rip out your spleen and use it for target practice," he countered, hoping the threat didn't sound too empty. "And besides, what I do with my base is none of your business Dib stink!"

"You just told me so yourself."

"Silence!"

As if they were sizing up for a boxing match, they stared each other down again from across the table.

A solid minute passed before the collective chatter around them began to subside.

Dib sat back down again. "Whatever. Just meet me at my house after school. We can get started once you're there."

Zim crossed his arms in disapproval. "If you insist Earth filth."


Later that evening, Zim made his way to the Membrane residence. He navigated through the silent suburban streets as the feeling of the brisk winter chill penetrated his chest. He exhaled. His breath was partially visible, a sign winter was coming early. He made a mental note to prepare the base for the coming temperature change once repairs were complete.

Gir trotted alongside him happily, humming an uplifting tune. He had decided to bring the faithful robot along for protection. Not that the little SIR unit offered much. Still, the human probably had something treacherous planned for when he arrived and it was better to have Gir with him than back at the base.

When he finally reached the front door, he stopped, considering the ramifications of what he was doing. What did it matter to him if his arch nemesis failed at the project? Didn't he want him to fail? Wasn't it in his best interest to take any advantage he could get?

He'd considered walking away multiple times and leaving the boy to fend for himself. It would certainly help eliminate another obstacle in his quest for world domination.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he stuck out a claw and rang the bell. He still needed resources, and the Dib was the only other human, dare he say it, smart enough to assist him in that department.

It was only a brief second before the door cracked open.

"Oh, why hello there," greeted the professor. He was dressed in usual white lab coat and masking goggles. "My son mentioned you were coming by. It's so nice to see him practicing REAL science for a change! He's waiting for you in the garage."

Zim nodded and after the professor shut the door, he made his way around to the garage. It was open just enough for him and Gir to slip under.

Once inside, he looked around the room, but was surprised to find it looked like nothing like he expected. It was a typical, ordinary human storage unit. Plain brown boxes were stacked in corners along a shelf, the back wall was lined with tools that could be used for gardening, and there were piles of useless junk stored on most of the counters.

Not a minacious thing was in sight.

On the other end of the garage, Dib worked diligently at a workbench. He seemed to be fusing some kind of metal together with a blowtorch, and Zim had to suint as the brightness of the flame invaded his senses.

He approached cautiously, keeping a watchful eye for any hidden traps.

Noticing the Irken's apprehension, Dib finished up the segment he was working on and switched off the device.

"I didn't set any traps for you," he admitted bluntly before lifting up the face shield. "You don't have to worry about your disguise either. My dad will be heading back to the lab as soon as he finishes dinner, so no one but my sister will see you."

Zim shot an claw out toward the human.

"Ha! You think I'm going to let my guard down so your HIDEOUS father can catch me out of my disguise? NEVER! I knew you had something planned Dib-worm." He turned to his minion. "Come Gir, we're leaving!"

Dib watched as Zim turned to retreat. "I'm serious," he muttered, bowing his head in response. "He was leaving for his lab just before you showed up. He'll be gone for at least the next few hours."

Zim halted and wheeled back around. "And what exactly is stopping him from opening the door to check on you before he leaves? Isn't that something you humans do? Say goodbye to one another?"

Dib stood there remaining oddly quiet. "Trust me. He won't."

Zim tilted his head curiously, picking up on the boy's melancholy behavior. He wasn't really sure why, but it resonated with him.

Shaking off the unpleasant sensation, Zim imperiously reached into his PAK. He pulled out a small laser, no bigger than a pen. It was encased in foreign metal and had a small switch at the head.

"I thought you said we couldn't use any of your technology?" Dib mocked stubbornly.

Zim glared back at him in annoyance and switched on the device. "I refuse to have my name associated with such mediocre efforts," he explained before turning toward his metallic minion. "Gir! Initiate command function 42!"

Gir squealed in excitement. "That's my favorite function!"

Jumping out of his dog disguise, the little robot quickly dashed over to the work table. To Dib's amazement, Gir's head split open like a jig saw puzzle, allowing a long, skinny robotic arm to extend outward. The arm flickered with a flash of light, and at the end, a holographic projection of a grid appeared.

Dib watched as it settled on the structure they had been working on and illuminated it in a blue and black net-like mesh. Saying nothing, Zim approached the grid silently and with precise accuracy, began highlighting all of the inaccuracies.

"Hehe. It tickles," giggled Gir.

Ignoring his minion, Zim continued to work in silence. Anywhere the tiny laser pen touched, the area lit up with a yellow glow. Once finished, he pushed a button on his device and the grid vanished.

"It's a quantum equalizer field," he explained, annoyed by the human's ignorance. "It will automatically even out all of the areas that are unstable, reinforcing the structure and making it stronger than before. Once the glow fades away, it will be safe to handle."

Dib continued to stare at the markings in awe. Utterly fascinated by the level of tech, he poked one of the them to see if it was real. A stinging sensation retaliated against his flesh. He quickly jerked his hand back.

Bored, Zim turned to take his leave, but Dib unexpectedly called after him.

"Hang on!" he shouted, causing the Irken to halt.

Zim turned around, annoyed.

"What is it Earth stink?" he muttered.

Dib approached and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He knew that what he was about to ask was going against his better judgement, but he really wanted to see more of Zim's tech. He was sure what he had just witnessed had only been a sample of what the alien had hidden back at the base, and his deep desires to discover more advanced machinery was overpowering him.

"Since you've already held up your end of the bargain," he stared, trying not to sound desperate, don't you think we should start on my mine? I can help you with some of the repairs back at the base."

Zim gave Dib a dubious look. "You expect me to trust you in MY base human? How do I know that you won't steal any of my technology?"

Dib raised his right hand like a boy scout. "As long as you don't try and destroy me while I'm down there, I promise won't take anything from your labs."

Zim looked him over in distain and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He really did not like the idea of letting his arch rival meddle around in his base, especially since he was trying to capture him. But what choice did he have? Winter was approaching soon, and if he turned down the extra help, he wasn't likely to get anything done.

"Very well," he growled in disgust. "But if you steal anything, I will melt your legs into soup."

Off in the distance, Gir squealed in excitement. "Yaaaaay! Soup!"


Over the next several weeks, the model for the science project was nearly complete. True to his word, Dib had held off from installing any water components while Zim worked on completing the finishing touches. And thanks to the Irken's advanced tools, the final result was actually quite impressive.

The two boys were just finishing up their display booth when one of the school teachers approached them.

"It's so good to see you two finally working together!" said the teacher. They recognized him as one of the higher grade staff members. "I was really worried we were going to have to send you two off to that new summer school they've built on the other side of town. You know, the one with the smoke? I've never actually seen anybody come back from there, but it's good it all worked out huh."

Dib cringed awkwardly. "Uh, yeah. Thanks Mr. Ray."

The teacher gave them a squinty smile before taking off. "Well, I'd better find my seat before they announce the winner. Good luck to you two!"

Dib waited until he was out of earshot before he spoke.

"Geez. What a creep," he griped, tweaking the finishing touches on the project. "I can't believe that guy is going to be our teacher next year."

Zim nodded in agreement. "Yes. I too found his lack of intelligence quite unsettling."

Dib continued to work on his segment and then quickly did a double take.

"Wait. Did you just agree with me?" he asked.

"Like I'd ever agree with you worm-monkey," replied Zim.

"No really. I think you just said-"

Before he could finish, they were stopped by his father and all of the other judges approaching the table.

Dib immediately jumped to action. Zim, not daring to get close to the device, took a step back to let the boy work. He watched as the human switched on the device, causing it to start pumping water immediately.

"Hey! It works!" the boy cheered triumphantly.

"Of course it works," Zim scoffed. "It was made by ZIM!"

Interrupting their potential argument, the judges approached the booth. Professor Membrane stepped in front of the group.

"Ah, hello son!" he greeted, leaning over toward the boy. "I am eager to see what you have to present to us today. It's so good to see you practicing REAL science for a change!"

Dib reveled in the irony. If only he knew it was built with the help of an alien.

He held a hand up to explain their project.

"So Dad, you know how you've had some discussions with the other world leaders about a potential water supply problem?"

The Professor nodded.

"Well, I thought this would come in handy."

Dib reached up and flipped on the switch to activate the pump. The machine began to function normally.

"Unlike conventional desalinization plants," he continued, "this one can be placed directly in the water, and it separates salt in half the time! It can even be solar powered depending on location."

The judges nodded in approval, and the professor brought a knuckle to his exaggerated collar.

"Yes, I suppose this is rather impressive," he stated casually.

Dib felt his pulse begin to quicken. He watched his father repeatedly pinch the area of his chin.

"Hmmm. Yes! Very nice work son!" The googles bent in a way that could be seen as a smile. "I will see that the judges pass this one on to the final round! Congratulations you two!"

He then turned his focus on Zim. Reaching his hand out, he extended it toward the Irken. "It's so good to see my son finally working so well with others. You two have done a fine job!"

Zim eyed the gesture, but stood frozen. Unlike shaking hands with the Dib-human, the professor was an icon of authority. He towered over him, much like his former leaders did, and as a loyal member to the empire, it felt wrong to take up the offer. He had been programed from birth to fear and respect those above him by all means, and going against such programming was equally confusing as it was foreign to him.

Ignoring his instincts, he reluctantly reached up and returned the professor's gesture. The famed scientist shook it hard and chuckled.

"I suppose you two should work together more often," he added, giving some additional small praise. Eventually he released his hand and continued on to judge the other students' projects.

Dib let out a sigh of relief. "Well I'm glad that's over."

He turned to look at Zim who still studying his hand as if it was the first time he had ever laid eyes on it. He gave the Irken a small poke.

"Hey, what's up with you today?" he asked, looking at him warily. "You're acting weirder than normal."

Zim crossed his arms pridefully across his chest. "I do not know what you are talking about," he said, turning away.

Dib frowned. "Oh come on Zim. You practically froze up when talking to my dad! Only his fanboys ever do that!"

"Zim is no fan of boys or any of you pig smellies!" Zim shouted, not fully understanding the meaning of the term. "I've just...never been recognized for my efforts is all."

He awkwardly turned his back from Dib, not wanting him to see the expression that followed. He wasn't sure why he had let such a vulnerable confession slip, especially to his arch enemy. His goal had been to get the human off his back, not stir up more questions. But still, it did feel good to be praised for his work, even if had been only a small taste of recognition. Part of him craved more of it. To feel that rush once again.

Equally intrigued, Dib diligently scanned his rival. He had never heard Zim reveal anything so telling from his personal life before. And considering how much he zealously boasted about himself, he had always assumed the Irken had been programmed to have those sorts of things engineered out of him. He was an elite member of the Empire, or so he said. It would only make sense that he would be trained to never show weakness to the enemy.

But at the same time, if Zim was supposed to be so dangerous, why had a mere child like him been able to stop him?

Of course, there was the obvious reason. Even Dib had picked up on Zim not being the brightest individual in the galaxy. The alien practically had an arsenal of tech at his disposal and still hadn't managed to conquer the planet. He may have been more versatile than the average human, but he was still a moron. After missing a whole week of school because hamburger meat seared to his eye sockets, it didn't amount to much toward his creditability.

"Well, I'm going home," Zim interjected bluntly, breaking the awkward silence. "Since the project is complete, I no longer require your services to help me repair my base. From this point on, consider our truce obsolete."

Dib paused as he watched him go. He knew he should have been relieved, but he actually felt disappointed. Neither one of them wanted to admit it, but they had worked quite well together. And rather than trying to kill one another around the clock, he had actually been enjoying the cooperation for a change.

He was about to call out to Zim when his father approached with Gaz in tow.

"Excellent work today son!" the Professor praised chipperly. "See what you can accomplish when you put your mind to using REAL science?"

Dib gave an awkward smile. "Uh, yeah. Thanks Dad. It was great..."

Trying to hide his disappointment, he went to gather his belongings.

The professor looked around the room curiously. "Say, what happened to your little green friend?"

"Don't know. Went home I guess."

The professor looked about the room. "Well he should be here for when you two collect your prize. He did help you with the project after all."

Dib stopped what he was doing and looked up at his dad confused. "Prize?"

Membrane looked down at him with a smile.

"Of course! The winners of this year's science fair are to earn the the privilege of having their project constructed in the real world by my team of talented engineer. I wasn't allowed to cast my personal vote, but the other judges unanimously agreed. You and your little friend's desalinization plant was the best idea they've seen all year!"

Dib stared at his father in disbelief. Not only was he shocked that he had actually won, but that his dad was actually proud of something he had done.

Allowing a small smile to spread across his face, he stood up from the floor. "Thanks Dad. But you can stop calling Zim my friend. We just had to work together on this science project because our teacher made us and-"

The professor held up a finger. "Now, now son," he said, wagging it back and forth. "He helped you build it. So he deserves an equal share in the credit. I expect BOTH of you to be at my facility on the coast next month."

"But what about Christmas?" Gaz complained, disappointed. "I thought you said you were going to be home this year."

The professor knelt down and patted her head. "Now now, honey. Not to worry. I made sure to book it a year in advance. We won't be starting construction until after the New Year. I should have most of the preparations done by then. Assuming my new assistant hasn't accidentally mixed up any of my formulas."

Satisfied, Gaz dove her attention back into her GameSlave.

Dib watched as his father pressed a button on his communicator. No more than a few seconds later, a group of engineers barged in around the area. as Like a flock of vultures, they swarmed to collect the model along with a few of the scattered parts. Dib made sure to stay out of their way. Once they were done, they left as quickly as they had come.

The professor clapped his hands together. "Now then. Who's hungry?"


Author's note: I've always felt like the professor was never actually a bad father, but that he was just always just too busy working. It's clear in the series that he's disappointed his son would rather focus on conspiracy theories than follow in his footsteps. At the same time, he is also a very powerful icon, and I feel that despite him being a human, Zim would still feel somewhat intimidated by him. I know this chapter didn't have a whole lot going on, but most of the content is focused on the interactions between the characters. Hopefully you guys still enjoyed it! Don't forget to let me know what you think in the reviews!