3:Refuge
I wasn't sure what woke me up: Chi's high-pitched screams, the computer alerting me of an unstable landing, or the throbbing pain in my right side.
"Warning! Engine failure! Death eminent!" The voot's computer voice yelled.
"Chi, what the hell happened?!" The robot's eyes flashed red.
"An Irken patrol spotted our ship and fired at the back. I chased 'em off though!" Her eyes went green as she spoke the last statement.
That explained the huge, throbbing bruise in my side; the shots must've shaken the ship and I'd been thrown against something. If it shook that much, I could only pray that we were on course. I glanced at the navigation screen and saw snow. Perfect. Just. Freakin'. Perfect. Without thinking, I grabbed Chi and yanked the windshield up. We were entering Earth's atmosphere, and some small houses were coming into view. My ocular implants annoyingly zoomed in towards Zim's "base", automatically singling out the only Irken technology on the planet. Anywhere but there. I prayed for my life and shut my eyes, kicking off the ship towards the ground. Everything went dark.
--
I pulled myself up off the ground with all the strength I could muster and looked around hazily for Chi. She was wobbling out from behind a bush, pulling at a piece of grass that was caught on her antenna.
"Someone get the license plate off that ship…" I massaged my forehead and checked my surroundings. It was dark, except for a light coming from a window a couple yards away. Thankfully, we had landed near someone's house. Hopefully, someone who didn't mind loaning out a room.
"I'm dizzy!" Chi exclaimed, whirling around in circles and dropping on the ground with a clang.
"And tired." She added.
"Is it even possible for a robot to be tired? Never mind, Chi. We need shelter, and I only see one option right now." I walked toward the door and took in a deep breath as I knocked.
--
Dib's head shot up off the keyboard. Glancing hazily at the clock, he realized it was way past midnight. A thumping noise came from downstairs, but who would be knocking at this hour? The computer screen eerily glowed red in the dark room. He had fallen asleep spying on Zim. Again. He heard the knock come again, but louder, more desperate.
"I'm coming, I'm coming." He mumbled sleepily. He wrenched the door open.
"What do you-" Dib's voice caught in his throat as he got a good look at his visitor. Smooth, green skin. Tightly curled, black antennae. Huge, shining blue eyes. An Irken.
They stood there for some time, just staring at each other. Him with a look of shock, her silently pleading this would go well. Dib broke the silence first.
"Who are you, and what have you come here to do?" She sighed and looked at her feet.
"My name is Wave, I'm Irken." Before she could finish explaining herself, he gasped and pointed an accusing finger at her.
"So you're with Zim, trying to conquer Earth for the Empire!"
"Okay, I know how this might look, but no, I'm not. Do you see any weapons?" She asked, spreading her arms out. There was suddenly a high-pitched giggling from behind Wave. Dib peered over her shoulder to see a small robot – much like Zim's- waving at him.
"And that's your personal secretary?"
"That's Chi, she's my SIR."
"And a SIR is…?" She was getting annoyed at all the questions. But we need the shelter.
"SIR: Standard Information Retrieval unit. Irkens use them to gather information for missions, or just generally help out. They have a defensive mode, which has the ability to fatally injure, but Chi's defenses have been disabled. I swear. I'm not like that moron Zim."
"Okay…" the boy was lowering his guard slightly. "What are you here for then?" She sighed and looked at her feet before gesturing behind her. There was a spaceship – much like Tak's – laying in a scorched, sparking heap in the middle of his backyard. "Oh…my….god." Was all he could manage to choke out. "So…your ship crashed… and you need shelter I'm guessing? Even though I'd have to be completely insane to help an Irken; the same race that's trying to conquer or possibly destroy the planet." Wave laughed bitterly and nodded. This could be a great opportunity to learn more about Zim's race.Dib thought to himself. Or this is a bad dream, and it'll all be gone when I really wake up. With that thought in mind, he muttered "Okay. Okay. Fine, come in. You can have the spare room, I guess. Just try not to wake up my sister; she's a light sleeper with an anger problem-" Dib launched into a hurried list of the rules in place while leading her to her new room. "- and that's it basically. If you need anything, just tell me. My room is across the hall… knock first. Goodnight, I guess." He scratched the back of his head and was about to close the door to his room when she spoke up for the first time in five minutes.
"Um, could you tell me your name?" Her voice was cracked with exhaustion, and she looked like she was about to collapse on the floor.
"It's Dib."
--
I curled up under the sheets of my new bed, thankful for the chance to really rest for the first time since before we left for the Massive. Chi had gone into sleep mode and made a temporary bed out of spare sheets on the floor. I didn't really know if Dib could be trusted, but he had given us a room for the night, and that had to count or something.
Letting out one last yawn, I could only hope for the best before slipping into sleep.
Chapter 3's up... I might just quit this fic if I don't get some reviews soon...