A/N: Okay everyone, here's the next chapter of "Evolution of Evil". Sorry about the late update, but my grandmother passed away recently, so I've been having trouble bringing myself to write.
Anyway, I know some of you are wondering why I'm having Dib break into the GESS lab so soon, and I do admit that it seems a little fast. However, the fight sequence in this chapter is important, as it will help set the stage for another major plot point of this story. Besides, there'll be even more intense fights later on when the GESS are all fully activated, so consider this an appetizer.
Well, rambling's over and done with; read on!
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The Membrane Household, Some Time Later
Dib snored softly from where he was leaning against the escape pod – the pod and his laptop were taking so long to connect that he had fallen asleep from pure boredom. However, his nap was interrupted when his computer let out a loud beep, startling him awake.
"Who-what-where?!" Dib stammered, his head snapping around in confusion before he managed to reorient himself. Looking down at his laptop, he saw that it was flashing the message, "REMOTE HOOKUP ACHIEVED".
"Well it's about time," he muttered, typing commands into the laptop, and through it into the pod. The pod activated its connection to Zim's computer, and altered the Electronic Security Field so that the back door Dib had planted in it was open to the frequency used by his spy cameras. Once that was done, Dib activated the cameras and opened up a window to view the feed from them.
The camera in the living room of the house level didn't show anything out of the ordinary – GIR was having a tea party with his friend Pig while Minimoose was napping on top of a lamp – so Dib switched over to the cameras in the actual base. However, after a few minutes, he noticed something that he found a little unnerving; Zim was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't in the Voot hanger bay, or the communications room, or any of the many labs Dib had managed to plant cameras in.
"Where are you?" Dib asked aloud, continuing to switch between camera views. He finally found Zim, catching the Invader as he exited the elevator in the main control room. A large smirk was plastered on Zim's face as he marched into the room and planted himself in his command chair.
"So, I take it the new lab was to your liking, master?" the computer asked.
Zim's smirk widened as he leaned back and laced his fingers together in a thoughtful position. "Oh, yes," he said, "I do believe this is the single greatest plan I've ever come up with. Soon, my destiny shall be secured, and the Empire shall praise the name of Zim."
"Right," the computer said, more than a little sarcasm dripping off its simulated voice, "Not to burst your bubble or anything, but I think I should point out the obvious here – what about Dib?"
"Forget about him," Zim snarled, "I'll deal with him when the time comes."
With the tone of the computer's following statement, Dib was pretty sure it would have been rolling its eyes if it had any.
"Yeah, that's a great idea. That's what you decided last time, and look what happened." The computer paused, before continuing, "At least with the EMP Cannon, it was in orbit; when it was destroyed, the damage didn't risk exposing us. With the GESS, if Dib does anything, it's right here in the base – and it's not exactly a small plan either. We could be exposed! You and Jana will get dissected, but more importantly, the humans will probably tear me apart to learn how I work and then sell me to Microsoft! Can you imagine the indignation-"
"Enough!" Zim snapped, "I don't care about your pathetic worries, computer. I left the Cannon vulnerable, which is how the Dib-Monkey was able to destroy it. The GESS lab, however, is buried beneath the entire base. There is no way for that wormy little human to get in."
The maniac Irken paused for a moment, and then began chuckling darkly. "Besides," he added, "Even if he does somehow make his way down there… he'd be dead before the day ended."
Dib shivered slightly as he heard that statement. However, his curiosity soon overpowered his instinctual fear – what the heck was a "GESS"? What was Zim planning this time? And how could he stop it?
Sending a command to the pod, Dib quickly brought up the layout for Zim's base. The 3-D map spread out over the laptop's screen, and Dib rotated it to show the bottom of the complex collection of spherical laboratory modules and their connecting tunnels. The central elevator shaft, which stretched all the way from the house built on top of the base straight through the middle of the complex to its bottom, now extended even further downwards into a single module that wasn't connected to anything other than the shaft.
"Well, he knows how to isolate something so that I can't get at it, I'll give him that," Dib muttered, "He must have just built that lab, so that means there's none of my spy cameras in there to tell me what's going on. Meanwhile, the only way in is through the central elevator shaft, and the house level entrance is probably set up with all kinds of security… so how do I get in?"
He tapped a finger against the edge of the laptop absentmindedly as he thought over what to do. Suddenly, a thought hit him and he started typing away, a grin forming on his face. A few seconds later, a series of red lines highlighted themselves within the modules and tunnels – ventilation shafts. And as Dib had thought, at least one per level of the base extended into the central elevator. So, all he had to do was find a way to get into one of those, then crawl through it into the elevator shaft, and then climb down that into the new laboratory.
"And here I thought this would be hard," he muttered sarcastically, "How am I supposed to get into one of those ventilation shafts without going through the house first?"
Dib sat there for a few minutes in silent thought and observation as he tried to figure out another way to get into the base, when he noticed something. The way that the base was set up, it seemed that one of the modules on the lowest most level of the base (not counting the new lab) at least partial penetrated a sewer tunnel, leaving the module itself exposed. If he could figure out a way to get in through there…
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Sewer Tunnel Near Zim's Cul-De-Sac, One Hour Later
"Well, that's Zim for you," Dib said with a raised eyebrow, "Subtle as a flying hammer."
The outer edge of the module, at least three feet's worth, was poking out of the shattered brick and cement of the sewer tunnel wall. However, that wasn't what Dib was commenting on. He was more interested in the way that the exposed module was "camouflaged" – a very bad paint job was splashed over it, making it look like a giant clown face. There were also several small smiley faces drawn haphazardly all over it; those were probably GIR's contribution.
"And still people don't believe me about him being an alien?" Dib asked rhetorically.
Shaking his head, Dib opened up the backpack he'd brought with him and pulled out an industrial blowtorch. It hadn't been too hard to acquire – he just told his father that it was needed for a Skool project, and Professor Membrane was practically throwing tools at his son to aid him in his newfound pursuit of "real" science.
Chuckling slightly to himself at the memory, Dib put on the appropriate safety gloves and goggles and got to work. After a few minutes, he had cut a five-foot by three-foot panel out of the module wall, and with the help of a crowbar, he soon managed to pull the panel out. As it hit the ground with a loud clatter, Dib cringed, and then examined the opening he had just made into Zim's base.
The hole extended all the way through into the module, emitting the magenta glow of the chamber out into the sewer tunnel. Tossing the blowtorch and associated supplies back into the backpack, Dib slung it over his shoulder and crawled through the hole, slipping out the other side and landing on the floor with a thud.
With a grunt that was more out of annoyance than pain, Dib pulled himself up and quickly checked his surroundings. As he'd thought, the room was one of the storage chambers where Zim kept God-knows-what that he'd either brought or imported from Irk and other planets, or gathered here on Earth. Dib wasn't too worried about security – before he'd left his house, he had used the pod to upload a little self-made virus to the base computer. It would knock out the security systems in the lower part of the base for a couple of hours – while disguising it as a simple error in the power systems – which should provide him with plenty of time to sneak into the "GESS" lab, figure out what it was for, and then sneak out.
He quickly found a ventilation shaft and pried it open with the crowbar, after which he forced himself into the small space and began crawling in the direction of the elevator. A few minutes later, he could see the end of the shaft ahead of him, just past an intersection with another shaft. However, before he could reach it, a scuttling sound from down the intersecting shaft caught his attention and he froze. A soft violet light appeared from the shaft, followed seconds later by one of Jana's spider drones.
The little robot whistled and chirped as it examined the intersection with its glowing optic. But just as it was about to turn towards Dib, he quickly struck it with the crowbar, breaking it almost in half. He then swung the crowbar at the drone, which was letting out a high-pitched shriek of alarm. When the crowbar hit the drone, it went skidding down the small corridor and broke through the air vent, tumbling down the elevator shaft and disappearing from sight.
"Well, that saves me some trouble," Dib said as he examined the busted vent. He then pulled out a long length of cable and tied one end around the remains of the vent. After checking to make sure it was secure, he let the rest of the cable uncoil and drop down the shaft towards his target.
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The GESS Lab, A Few Minutes Later
Sweating with exertion, Dib pressed the crowbar through the space between the elevator doors and pried them open. Before they could close again, he jumped through the opening, letting the doors slide shut behind him. After repeating the process with the next set of doors, he stood up and brushed himself off. He then looked around and let out a whistle of appreciation at the size of the lab.
Seeing an emergency staircase off to the side of the platform, Dib walked down it and started examining the nearest of the giant tubes. He was just about to reach up and wipe away the condensation so he could get a good look at the contents when the scar on his face started burning. Hissing in pain, he reached up and rubbed it.
"What the heck?" he asked – right before something hit him in the head and sent him flying across the floor. His vision swam for a moment, and just as it began to clear an all-too-familiar laugh filled his ears and sent a shiver down his spine.
"Oh, I've been looking forward to this," Jana said as she deactivated her cloaking device and shimmered back into visibility. Dib pulled himself to his feet and glared at the Irken assassin, who returned the favor in kind with her own green orbs.
"Shouldn't you still be healing?" Dib asked icily, as he began edging around the tube to put it between the two of them. Unfortunately, Jana saw the obvious move and also began circling the tube, keeping Dib in her sight.
"Oh, please," she said with a roll of her eyes, "Did you really think a minor wound like the one you inflicted on me during our last encounter would slow me down for long?"
"A minor wound?" Dib asked, slightly stunned, "Your arm was practically falling off!"
"I'm Irken. And more importantly, I am a Shadow – it will take more than the near loss of a limb to stop me."
"Like this?" Dib asked rhetorically as he whipped out his crowbar and lunged at Jana. Unfortunately, she grabbed the crowbar before it could make contact with her head, and then pulled on it, dragging Dib towards her. She then grabbed him by the throat with her free hand and squeezed, smirking as she did so.
"Did you really think that would work?" she asked.
Despite the pressure on his throat, Dib still managed to smirk, making Jana blink in confusion.
"Not really," he croaked out, right before there was the sound of a flame igniting. Looking down, Jana's eyes widened as she saw that Dib had pulled out the blowtorch and placed it against her… and that was all she had time to register before her cloak caught fire.
Shrieking in alarm, Jana tossed Dib aside and began beating at the flames that were spreading over her body. Seeing that it was a losing battle, she quickly pulled the cloak off and threw it to the ground, kicking at it with her combat boots. A few seconds later, the flames were put out, leaving behind a burned and scorched piece of black material which now had holes burned in it. Seething, Jana looked up to see Dib disappearing around one of the GESS tubes down the aisle they were in.
"You're dead, Dib!" she shouted after him, "Do you hear me you little monkey?! I liked that cloak!"
She took off after him, reaching for the energy sword on her belt. As she rounded the tube she had seen Dib turn at, she ducked as he swung the crowbar at her again. Turning the duck into a roll, she jumped to her feet and activated the energy sword. Swinging it, she cut the crowbar clean in half before slamming her fist into Dib's solar plexus and sending him stumbling backwards into one of the GESS tubes. As he struggled to get his breath back, Jana swung the sword towards his head with the intent of taking it off. However, before she could, she was interrupted.
"Stop!" Zim's voice cut through the sterilized air of the lab, and Jana instinctually obeyed; the blade of the sword stopped mere inches away from Dib's neck, causing the skin to begin to blister.
The recovering human and the female Irken looked up to find Zim floating above them on a hover platform. The Invader looked down at them, his red eyes narrowed and his lips pulled back in a sneer as he glared at his nemesis.
"He's mine," he said, venom dripping off of his voice.
Jana nodded and backed away, lowering the energy sword but not deactivating it. As soon as she was out of the way, Zim leapt off of the platform towards Dib, his spider legs extending mid-flight and stretching out in front of him. Dib yelped and jumped out of the way, just barely dodging the spear-points of the legs as they shot past him and penetrated the metal floor. As Zim attempted to pull the legs free, Dib turned to run, only to find Jana blocking his way.
"You're not going anywhere," she said, "Lord Zim's not through with you yet."
Dib realized he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and began racking his brain for a plan. Seeing Zim almost had the stuck legs free, he began stalling for time.
"So, how'd you know I was down here?" he asked.
"Did you really think a simple power outage virus would fool me?" Zim snorted, "I may not know how you got into the base, but I was still able to realize you had and were most likely making your way down here. And I will not let you ruin another of my plans."
With a grunt of exertion, Zim pulled the spider legs free and aimed them at Dib, who was moving as far sideways as he could in the narrow space between tube aisles. The spear-points began glowing with energy as the weapons powered up for an attack.
"Any last words, Dib-Worm?" he asked.
"Yeah," Dib said with a slight smirk, "head's up"
As Zim blinked in confusion, Dib suddenly rolled to the ground, picked up one of the pieces of the severed crowbar, and threw it at Zim. The Irken jumped to the side, and the large piece of metal flew by him.
"Missed me!" Zim taunted.
"Wasn't aiming for you," Dib replied, pointing behind Zim.
Zim turned around to see that the crowbar piece had impacted the GESS tube directly behind him, causing the glass-like material to crack. As he watched, the cracks began spreading, and the fluid within began spraying out.
"Aw, etchuta," was all Zim could mutter before the tube burst completely. The fluid flowed out in a wave, carrying the shattered glass out with it, and slammed directly into him. Dib sprinted between two other tubes, narrowly avoiding the tidal wave of alien chemicals. Over the sound of the flowing liquid, he could have sworn he heard some kind of high-pitched squealing, but he didn't have time to investigate it – he'd have to escape and come back later when he was more prepared for a fight; only then could he figure out what Zim was making down here.
As Dib ran for it, Jana leapt down from the top of one of the tubes – where she had escaped the mini-flood – and quickly made her way over to her master, who was lying on the floor in a semi-conscious state. Several large pieces of glass had pierced his body, and he was groaning in pain. With a worried frown, Jana began pulling the shards out as gently as she could; unfortunately for Zim, it was still extremely painful. As Jana pulled the last piece out of his chest, he let out a loud scream and nearly shot up into a sitting position as he regained awareness, but the female grabbed his shoulder and held him down.
"Do not try to move, master," she said, "Your body has been badly damaged."
"I had worse during Invader training," Zim muttered, waving his servant off and shakily getting to his feet. Looking around, he said, "I take it Dib escaped?"
Jana didn't meet Zim's eyes as she answered. "I'm sorry milord. I know I should have gone after him, but you were wounded, and my duty is to protect you, so-"
"It's alright," Zim cut her off, "While I'd prefer that nuisance dead, he hasn't damaged the plan any… well, not counting that."
Jana followed Zim's pointing finger, and grimaced as she saw an infant GESS – the former occupant of the shattered tube – lying dead on the floor. Its underdeveloped lungs hadn't been able to allow it to properly breathe yet, so it had died when exposed to the atmosphere.
"Dispose of it and clean up this mess," Zim ordered as he turned on his heel and began limping away. Jana noticed this and called after him.
"Are you sure you're alright, master?" she asked.
"You worry too much, Jana," he answered over his shoulder, "I am Zim. Something like this won't slow me down for long. Everything is fine"
However, unbeknownst to both of them, everything was not fine. For when Zim had been pierced by the glass, the tube fluid – the genetic accelerant – had entered his body. And even as the two Irkens spoke, it was circulating his blood stream and being absorbed by his tissues, getting right to work at doing what it was designed to do.
Soon, for the second time in a week, Zim's destiny would be drastically altered…
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A/N: Wow, this was a lot longer than I thought it would be. Hope that makes it worth the wait. And I again apologize for the short fight scene; but like I said, once the GESS are up and running, there'll be plenty of intense fighting.
Next chapter: Zim begins to notice the effects of the genetic accelerant in his bloodstream.
Until then, read and review!