CHAPTER 6: Morality Issues
I'm finally back. Did you miss me? No? I didn't think so. But here I am anyway, with a new chapter. In my hiatus, it appears that someone has attempted to steal my idea. I don't own Invader Zim, but I would appreciate it if others didn't stand on my shoulders, and use my creativity to write their own works. It's called professional courtesy, and it seems to be lacking these days.. Now, back to the story. To sum up this chapter: Some more back story, some more action, and more back story. I tangle the web a little more. You, the reader are caught within it. Now you must keep reading if you want closure. Aren't I an evil little mad scientist? Well, tally-ho and forward.
As the movie ended, Tak found herself laying on her side upon on the long sofa, her head resting against the plush arm of the couch. On the screen, the credits began to appear, superimposed on a shot of flaming debris streaking through the sky.
"So, what did you think?" V asked, sitting far to the right of Tak on the chair, politely giving her room to lay down. This was the sixth movie they had watched, pausing only to eat.
"It was a really good movie." Tak replied, her eyes still on the screen. She looked to V. "The alien invaders beat all of the military might of Earth, and practically destroyed mankind. They didn't count on the resiliance and resourcefulness of it's inhabitants."
"Precisely." V said. "And Bill Pullman's speech in the movie?"
"Beautiful. It gave the survivors the hope they needed."
"Rhetoric." V stated. "Everyone knew that if they went against the invaders, they might all be killed. They also knew that Earth could be destroyed, and their only hope rested upon a thread. But in the end, it's better to die fighting for your freedom and your life, indeed the lives of everyone you care about, and everyone you don't even know, than to give up just because it all looks hopeless."
"Is that why you do what you do?" Tak asked. "To give others hope?" V's head dropped a little.
"Beneath this mask," V said. "Is more than flesh and bone. In doing what I do, I become the idea. I become the catalyst, the means to an end."
"But if you become the idea, don't you forget who you were in the beginning?" At this question, V was silent for a few moments. Somewhere in the dwelling, a grandfather clock broke the silence, chiming out nine notes.
"Ah!" Exclaimed V, standing. "I regret that I must take my leave for a little while. Do help yourself to anything you need. I may be out for a long while, but you may rest assured that you are safe here, even with me absent."
"Where are you going?"
"To do what I do." V replied. He took a harness-like holster holding six daggers from a peg on the wall, and buckled it across his chest. He then pulled his cloak and hat from a coat rack, and donned the items. Then, with a bow and a flourish of his cloak, he dissapeared through a doorway.
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Torque Smackey paced in the large living room of his spacious mansion. On a huge screen in the room, his latest broadcast blared.
"We will not show an ounce of leniency toward those who are against us." Smackey watched himself say. "Because leniency shows compassion. Compassion shows equality. And I'll tell you what I know." Now Smackey gestured with his fists as he quoted himself loudly along with the broadcast. "The Irken race HAS no equals! The Irken race delivered humankind from its own reckless stupidity, and mankind NEEDS the Irken Empire! They are our saviors! They are GODS in comparison to us."
"They are the master race!" Smackey exclaimed as he paced. "We are fortunate! We are unworthy! Those who are against the Irken Empire need to be punished!" Smackey's rant was interrupted when the large screen shut off. "What the..." Smackey muttered. He turned around, and fell backwards in shock. Standing in the room was V.
"Greetings, Commander Smackey." V said cordially.
"Wh...what do you want?" Smackey stammered.
"To repay an old debt, commander."
"Commander?" Smackey asked nervously. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't you remember?" V asked. "After you turned in the remaining resistance to the Irken Empire, the Tallest made you commander of the prison camp at Larkhill."
"How do you know this?!" Smackey exclaimed. "Who are you?!"
"A ghost from the past.." V muttered as he pulled two daggers from his cloak.
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Tak awoke to what sounded like V struggling against a foe. She quickly hopped out of bed, and spying the nearest weapon, an iron curtain rod, grabbed the object, and dashed out of the room. She entered the main room, expecting to see V embroiled in mortal combat with an army of Irkens. Instead, she lowered the curtain rod as she watched V, sword in hand, fencing against a manequin. She watched as V childishly twirled and lept back and forth, parrying invisible strikes from his opponent's invisible sword.
"Ahem." Tak cleared her throat. V turned, and seeing her confused look, chuckled a bit.
"Sorry." He said. "Didn't mean to make such a din with my...ahem...swordplay."
"It's alright." Tak yawned. "I just thought you were fighting somebody." V looked at her impromtpu weapon.
"And you had planned on coming to my aid yet again." He commented. "Interesting choice of weapons." Tak looked down to the curtain rod still in her hand. She smiled sheepishly, leaning the rod against the doorway. "I had assumed you would rather use the integral weapons system in your Pak, rather than a piece of home decor."
"I don't have the weapons system anymore." Tak said with a sigh. "They deactivated it when..." She looked away for a moment.
"You were arrested." V stated.
"Yeah. A long time ago." Tak replied. She walked across the room, and sat on the couch.
"Tell me about it." V said, sitting next to her.
"There's really not much to tell. It happened soon after the Irkens took control of Earth. My younger sister..." Tak paused, smiling sadly. "She came to stay with me a while. At the time, I was exiled to Earth."
"I see."
"I was...romantically involved with a human. He was brilliant for a member of such a idiotic race as hum...sorry." Tak looked at the floor, feeling rather guilty about her statement.
"No, humans can be quite inept at times. Continue, my dear."
"Well, my sister Tenn was against the way the Tallest were treating Irkens on Earth. They had come voluntarily to colonize the planet for Irk, and they were treated as badly under the Irken Order as the humans were."
"I remember those days well." V muttered.
"She joined a movement to protest the treatment of Irken civilians under the regime. At the same time, my..." Tak sniffled, a tear forming in her right eye. "My fiancee was a member of the growing resistance. Somehow, the Irkens found out. They, you know, dropped the hammer on us. They stormed our house one day. They...they arrested us. All of us, me, Tenn, Dib, and Dib's family. We were taken to a prison camp. I guess they couldn't find enough against me to hold me, or that bastard Zim may have had something to do with it, but I was sent to a school for reeducation. My weapons systems were deactivated, and I was told that if I was caught using my holographic disguise, I would be arrested again." Tears began running down Tak's cheeks. V handed her a white silk hankerchief, which she used to wipe the tears away before continuing.
"I...I never saw them again. They were all..."
"I'm sorry." V said, placing a hand on Tak's shoulder. "I truly am."
"No." Tak said, trying to regain her composure. "It's...all in the past, I guess."
"I know what might help." V said, trying to be cheerful. "Would you like to watch some television?"
"Sure, why not?" Tak replied. V pressed a button on the remote control, and the television came to life. A documentary about ceramic was on. V changed the channel.
"...Smakey was found dead today." A news anchor reported. "Known as the voice of Earth, Mr. Smakey was found this morning in his office, where he had died of heart failure. He..."
"Torque Smakey is dead?" Tak asked in surprise. She looked over at V. "I know this report is a lie. Tell me you didn't..."
"Kill him? V asked. "I won't lie to you, Tak. I did indeed go into his house and take his life. But you must understand..."
"Understand? Understand what? You...you murdered Torque Smakey!" Tak exclaimed, leaping to her feet.
"Sometimes, murder can be used for good."
"And how is that?" Tak inquired bitterly. V sighed.
"By killing one, two, or a handfull of key persons, an entire nation can be overthrown. History has taught us that. Smackey's death may have saved the lives of hundreds, even thousands of others."
"So you think by killing Mr. Smackey, you can achieve your little coup more easily?" Tak asked in an accusing tone.
"Indeed. But in order to carry out the intricate design, more will have to die. I hope you understand that, Tak."
"Who?"
"That's not important now." V replied. Tak digested the situation for a moment, and was left with only one question.
"How did you get access into his house?" She queried.
"I used your IBN I.D. card." V replied. Tak suddenly felt sick.
"You...you...oh, Irk. Oh, no."
"Are you...okay, Tak?" V asked as Tak staggered backwards, groping for anything to help her steady herself.
"Oh no." Tak gasped. "You've...you've killed me, you know that?!"
"You're perfectly safe here." V said calmly.
"I don't want to be here!" Tak screamed. "I've had enough of this! I want out of this place! You're little war is going to kill me, and I don't want to die! Maybe you do, but I don't, Okay?!"
"Where would you go?" Asked V.
"I...I have places I could go. Safe places."
"I can't let you take that chance." V replied.
"You can't hold me prisoner here!"
"And I won't. I just ask that you sleep on it. Think it through, and come to a conclusion , and tomorrow, make your choice. From there, I won't hinder your decision. That is all I ask."
"Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow."
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Bill looked up from his computer as Iggins walked into the office. The younger detective stood before Bill's desk for a moment befor speaking.
"You called for me, sir?"
"Yeah," Bill replied. "I just found out something interesting. I was doing a little research into Mr. Smackey's past, and guess what I found?"
"My guess is he wasn't the tooth fairy?" Iggins remarked sarcastically. Bill scoffed.
"It turns out that Smackey was a member of the resistance."
"But how did he..."
"He apparently was 'good' enough to betray the resistance to the Irkens, and the information he provided led to the extermination of the entire rebellion."
"Holy...He was the one who turned in the resistance?"
"Yep. And the Tallest were so grateful that he saved them so much work, that they gave him the honorary rank of commander, and put him in charge of the prison camp at Larkhill."
"Larkhill?"
"Yeah, I did some more research, and guess where it turns out that Tenn, Dib Membrane, and his entire family were sent before their deaths?"
"So, let's run through this." Iggins said, thinking. "Smackey betrays the resistance, gets put in charge of a prison camp. Tak's sister and boyfriend are sent to said prison camp and killed. Tak is reprogrammed and sent on her way. Now, some caped crusader shows up, happens to rescue Tak from some Irken fingermen, and ends up dissapearing with the damsel in distress, or so it seems."
"Right so far." Bill said, sipping a cup of cold coffee.
"Now, Smackey ends up murdered, the only recorded entry into his house last night being that of Tak. The I.O. covers up the murder. Soooo..." He paused for a moment. "What do you think the connection is?"
"I don't know yet." Bill said, resting his chin on his hand. "But I know there's something there, something beneath the surface that I can't see yet."
"Maybe she has been working with this guy all along." Iggins conjectured.
"No." Bill replied. "At least I don't think so. In fact, I get the feeling he is working the strings on all of this."
"How do you know that?" Iggins asked.
"I dunno. It's just...a hunch."
Well, this chapter turned out longer than I expected. Good show. You know the drill: reviews, people, reviews. Till next chapter, cheerio.
