A/N: hello again! I do think this story is approaching the end soon. I've written out an outline for the rest of this story, and it looks as if there will be two, maybe three more chapters. Warning: author's notes exceeds 1000 words. Read at your own risk (it's just my usual waffle, but you may want to read them as I discuss controversial topics that need to be pointed out).
Thank you all for reviewing and remaining patient.
...
"Scree, stop!"
She turned around and faced the dispatcher of those words, holding that vial of toxic fluid. It was a super pollutant, giving the infected horrific abnormalities. But it was in the name of peace. Everyone had to be equal. It was for the good of the Irken race...
Bren watched her cautiously. She couldn't bear the look in his eyes. He may be blind in one eye, but he could see in many other ways. They had become close friends since they joined the team at Irk laboratories. He was imperfect, like her.
"I have to do this; I have to stop Miyuki's obsession with perfection. It's corrupting our race!"
"But they're just smeets. You... you can't harm them."
She looked up at those brooding chambers above. She had disabled the droids. Now every smeet was on display.
They were lifeless and so unaware to the horrors that awaited them. Would they be soldiers or drones? Poor things. Maybe she should just kill them all and put them out of their misery.
"Stay back, Bren. I've come too far, you can't stop me. I will fight you."
She stood in a battle stance, preparing to fight her best friend. She never wanted it to come to this, but he was distracting her from her mission. Why couldn't he just understand?
"I don't want to fight you, Scree. I want to help. This has to stop. There's a war going on up there!"
"Lord Devron knows what he's doing. He has the element of surprise..."
"Not for long. You know this won't end well. Come with me, and we can escape. We can start a new life of our own. The Devastians and the Irkens don't care for either of us."
"Don't you speak ill of Lord Devron, especially after he took us in when our own race cast us aside! I am going to do this. Irk is on a dangerous, destructive path. They have to be destroyed. Except for this lot. They'll get my lovely gift."
She found the main feeding tube that connected to all the smeets. The droids would insert nutrients into the tubes for optimum development, but now they'll develop in many new ways.
She opened the panel, and there was the main hole to the tubes. She lifted that vial to the small opening.
Bren started to panic. "Listen to reason. They will punish you!"
"It has to be done, Bren. It's the only way..."
"What did Lord Devron do to you? He's warped your mind. You're insane."
"He enlightened me! This is the day that Irkens find true purity! No one in Irken society will feel inadequate ever again!"
She tipped the vial into the hole, and from there the liquid would spread through the great vasculature that made up the feeding tubes. The first drop...
Bren jumped out and tried to stop her, but then that beam shot through his head. He slumped at her feet.
Scree stared horrified.
"No..."
She knelt by his side. Her dead friend's head had been vaporized. He was gone forever now, all because of her. But where was her guilt?
Her lack of compassion terrified her for a moment, but it wasn't to last. She focused all her anger on that Irken soldier holding that projectile weapon.
Scree smiled at him. A dark light flashed between her eyes.
"Go on, shoot me. I dare you."
He fired up the gun, but then another Irken elite grabbed his arm.
"Stop. She's wanted alive."
The soldier lowered his gun, disappointed. "Well at least I got to shoot the other one."
She started laughing, glaring up with those dark eyes. That flash was disturbing.
"You're too late. It's already begun..."
The soldier glared back, sickened by the pitiful sight of her.
"Seize her," he said.
The other soldier grabbed a hold of her, and dragged her away from the tubes and from Bren. The friend she lost.
"You can't stop it. You're losing the war!"
"We've captured Lord Devron. It took our troops five minutes to take them down. You're on the losing team, cripple."
"Don't call me that!" she screamed.
"Put her out. The sergeant didn't say we couldn't put her to sleep."
"Don't you lay a hand—"
The back of that gun smashed into her face. Scree stopped talking. She was to be taken away to the prisons where all the other war criminals belonged.
That single drop of toxic fluid poured through the tubes, finding its host at last. The smeet ingested the droplet. Only fate would determine the degree of its defectiveness.
...
Zim woke with a start, and fell out of the chair. His eyes shot across the room as he took in heavy breaths.
What a revelation, at least about his own past. He would recognise that brooding chamber anywhere. It had been his. Despite the fact they all looked the same.
Everyone watched quietly, not daring to make another sound. Dib was the one who finally caved in.
"Well, what did you find?" he asked.
"Enough," Zim said. "I only saw snippets, but they told me everything. About my own crippling condition anyway!"
"What crippling condition? Zim, you're perfect!" Skoodge assured him next.
"My growth was stunted! It explains everything, why I could never reach my true potential."
Dib rolled his eyes. "Zim, you're only a quarter inch shorter than Skoodge. Not a big deal. Height isn't everything..."
"It is everything to an Irken, and that 'quarter inch' makes all the difference! I hope Scree burns in hell!"
"Scree?" The question came from Tak. She was sitting on the window sill, one leg propped up and the other hanging down. MiMi still sat on her lap. They hadn't separated since she arrived.
Zim laughed. "We finally know the name of our green-eyed friend. Fitting; I'd love to throw her off a cliff!"
He grabbed the chair and tried to bash it to pieces.
"Make him stop!" Skoodge cried.
Ten stepped forward now. "Zim, take it easy. Tell us calmly what you saw."
Zim sighed and dropped the chair. "Okay, I will tell you all."
"This is going to be good!" Dib peeped, squeezing his fists.
Gaz looked sick. "I think I'm gonna puke. Dib, stop being a weird, happy idiot!"
"No way! I'm soaking up every mo—"
Gaz whacked him in the face with a cushion. He sat back down, as all that excitement left.
"You were saying?" Gaz said, indicating a hand to Zim.
"Scree, or formerly Green Eyes, meant serious business. All I've managed to find so far was that she was a scientist, but was banished from Irk for being crippled. Miyuki had a policy to abolish all defectiveness."
"Well yeah, we already knew that," Skoodge said. "We were taught that in training!"
Zim eyed him sharply. He was so rude. "To cut it short, she somehow joined forces with the native Devastians, and took part in a war against Irk."
"There were native Devastians?" Tenn asked. "How come we were never taught that?"
Tak scoffed. "Why would we be taught about a dead race? Especially one that declared war with us? New smeets will no longer hear about the Meekrob now."
Tenn felt a slight flutter at the word, but she found it no longer terrified her. The Meekrob were finally dead to her.
She looked at Zim again, intrigued. "Well, what were the Devastians like?"
"I don't know. I never got to that part yet. Her memories keep shuffling around. The last flashback showed her down in the smeetry. She at one point deactivated mom, I mean, the robot arm..."
"Not mother..." Skoodge cried.
Tenn gave a short smile. "I almost forgot about her. I liked to call her mama..."
"We never saw eye to eye," Tak said now, "but she was a caring enough parental figure."
Zim growled. "She was my Mommy! Anyway, as I was going to say, she had a vial of toxic fluid, and she intended to pollute us all!"
Zim waited for them to gasp. They just stared in stunned silence. Tak didn't even seem fazed about what Green Eyes was capable of.
"This is the part where you're supposed to gasp," he said, teeth clenched. "GIR! Gasp in surprise."
GIR gasped, and then returned to combing his blonde extension again.
"Why would she do that?" Tenn finally asked.
"It beats me. It seemed she wanted to stamp out Irk's goal for a perfect society, by crippling us all. Messed up."
"Shame she never got to..." Tak remarked.
Tenn looked at her, surprised. "You can't say that. They were our people. Those smeets were us, Tak!"
"Well those people tried to execute you because you developed a crippling anxiety. You couldn't even leave through that door!" Tak pointed at Zim's toilet door.
Tenn was silent. It was true. She would be dead now. They didn't even give her a second chance.
"Look," Tak continued, "I'm not saying I agree with her tactics for making us equal in that sense, but I do agree with her stance on our society's obsession with perfection. It's gotten way out of hand!"
Tenn considered what she said, taking note that she didn't exactly say she disagreed with Green Eyes' attempts at genocide. She did try to do the same thing during the Meekrobian war, but hadn't that been Green Eyes all along? Or was it Tak? She tried not to think about it. Instead, she focused on Tak's good qualities. Brutal honesty. That's always useful in some cases.
She looked up at Zim again. "Did she... you know... pollute any of us? Anyone we know?"
"Sneakyonfoota always creeped me out with his 'arched back'. I bet it was him!" Skoodge said.
"Or maybe it was you!" Gaz shot back.
Skoodge slumped down, folding his legs and putting his head in his hand.
"Yes," Zim finally said. "Me!"
Tenn watched him with a new shine in her eyes. "You don't know that. There were possibly a billion smeets."
"I do know, I saw it. I had a vision after the flashback ended. I was the smeet. Just one drop and it was me it infected. I'd recognize my nubby, underdeveloped limbs anywhere!"
Tak gave a harsh laugh. "And you think this droplet stunted your growth now?"
"It makes sense. Why I haven't gained another inch since late smeethood!"
"What's late smeethood?" Dib asked.
"Like your age now, Dib-stink, except we were way more advanced. Intellectually speaking that is."
"Yeah, well... my dad remembers his first poop..."
"Neat!" GIR said.
The others stared at him appalled. Gaz whacked him again in the face.
"Anywhoo!" Zim sang. "I'm going to make Green Eyes pay!"
"It could have been worse, Zim. The droplet could have messed with your head," Tenn told him.
An awkward silence followed. Tenn looked embarrassed.
"You spoke too soon..." Tak said.
Tenn scratched the back of her head. "I was just trying to cheer him up."
"See? Messed up brain meats!" Zim hit his head with his tiny fists.
Skoodge stood up and addressed him before he hurt himself. "You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are, Zim. Your stunted growth and messed up brain meats is who you are now. You would be boring being standard..."
Zim sighed. "You're right. I've come a long way. It doesn't change all the things that I've accomplished since. It's how I overcame my abnormalities that matters."
"That's the spirit. Embrace that you are different!"
"Yeah, that's enough morale, Skoodge. Now be quiet!"
Skoodge buttoned his lips.
Zim eyed the chair. A few splinters chipped away, which was about the worst he could do. He couldn't even break a leg off.
He put it the right way up again, and addressed everyone in the room.
"I think I'm going to have a break. Green Eyes' memories are too much at the moment. I've not felt like this since Molly's memories."
"So no more alien ghost memories?" Dib asked, eyes all shiny and sad.
"NO! I am a living piece of meat! I need some rest. Why don't you and Gaz head on home. I'll call you back when I intend to go exploring old memories again."
Dib stood up, but Gaz pushed him back down. "We go when I say we're ready!"
He sat next to her, and they all waited in silence.
"Okay, we're ready to go now," she said.
Gaz walked out the house with Dib close by. The others watched the door after they left.
"Repulsive child," Tenn said. "I was smart to stay clear of her." Earth children's lack of obedience still baffled her.
Tak climbed down from the window. "I have to give it to her, she does scare me a little. It doesn't take a lot to startle me, but that dark little girl does. I admire her and hate her at the same time."
"I have the dent to prove it," MiMi said.
"We'll get her back one day," Tak promised her.
They all turned to the sound of Zim scraping the chair across the floor.
Tak flinched. "Darn it, Zim! Can't you carry it?"
"Huh? You talking to me?" His voice lacked the enthusiasm.
"Yes, I'm talking to you!"
He sighed once again. "What do you expect? I never grew to my full adult size, so it's no surprise I can't lift a chair..."
"Oh, for goodness sake!" Tak yelled. "You were bashing it up and down! Why am I even bothering with this?"
"Can I go now?" Zim asked. "I need to be alone to assess my situation."
"Whatever. Your mopey face is driving me crazy. It's better you left for a while. Come back when you are more constructive."
Zim mumbled something as he dragged the chair into the kitchen.
Tak shook her head and walked towards the door. MiMi slunk behind her in cat form.
"Where are you going?" Tenn asked her.
"I'm going to spend some quality time with MiMi. We have a lot of catching up to do."
"Where will you go?"
"That's classified information," Tak told her, changing into her human form. "Just kidding. We'll go to the park. It's nice there." She finally left through the door.
"Poor Tak," Skoodge said. "She's been through so much."
"Yeah. It's best to give her the space." Tenn was itching to ask him something. He noticed her discomfort.
"What's wrong, Tenn?"
Tenn met his gaze. "You never fail to notice. I was going to suggest that we go and visit Molly again. I feel I have to return to her before she does something destructive. Poor child needs to learn self-control."
"Good idea! I'm so glad you're embracing Earth life at last!"
Skoodge grabbed Tenn's arm and pulled her out the door.
All was quiet. GIR sat braiding his wig. But then Zim appeared again, and pulled the chair back into the living room.
"I have to finish this. GIR! Keep an eye on the door. Make sure I'm awake before anyone returns."
"If you really want to be alone so bad, then why don't you go down into the lab?"
"It would take too long! I need answers now!"
"It was just a suggestion..."
Zim was out again, folding his legs beneath him and holding up his hands. He was meditating.
"Stupid alien."
The computer went back to his drawing, leaving Zim to meditate. It didn't stop GIR from drawing on his face with a pen though.
...
Tak and MiMi sat on the swings at the playground. There weren't many humans around the park today. Not that Tak was too concerned. She just looked like a young girl with her pet cat.
"This seat is sticky," MiMi said.
Tak sighed. "I know..."
"Why did you bring me here, mistress?"
"I wanted a place where we could be alone. It's a madhouse at Zim's. Besides, I needed the fresh air. I have yet to shake off this hangover."
MiMi sharpened her eyes dissatisfied, but then those red slits softened once again.
"I'm sorry I left you, mistress. I tried to escape, but they caught me..."
"Don't blame yourself. It was my fault. I got so worked up on my revenge for Zim and the Empire."
"I should have stopped you. I noticed when you started to lose your way."
Tak looked at her surprised. "You did? And you still stuck by my side?"
"You are my mistress. I go where you go. Even if it is a destructive path you choose."
Tak closed her eyes, trying to hold back tears. She didn't deserve her loyalty.
"Thank you, MiMi. In a way, I'm glad Zim got me sent to planet Dirt..."
MiMi looked up confused. "Glad? But you always said that fateful day ruined your chance of success."
"It did, but I never would have found you lying on that planet. If I passed my test, I would have went on to become a soldier, eventually going on to become an Invader and receiving a standard SIR. I made you mine. Everything that makes up my being is a part of you too, MiMi. I wouldn't have it any other way."
"That means a lot to me, mistress."
"Please, call me Tak. Mistress is too formal."
"I could never call you by anything other. I revere and respect you. So mistress it will be."
"Well I can't make you choose. It's your choice, MiMi."
They remained silent, watching a couple of children playing on the monkey bars ahead. One little girl nearly slipped, but her hand grabbed the bar in time. Tak was surprised to find herself on her feet to run to her aid. One step at a time now.
MiMi had something on her mind.
"I hope you don't mind my asking, but did you ever get your revenge on Irken Zim? You two seem to have... buried the hatchet should I say."
Tak gave it thought. "I never did, really. I have tried to make our time together as unbearable as I could, but yes, we are no longer enemies. I'm not sure how I feel about that."
"Relieved?" MiMi said.
"I guess so. My revenge had driven me to madness. Letting go of what Zim did to me has cleared my mind. Zim no longer fills me with hatred."
"So what do you feel for the irksome creature now?"
"Gratitude. He took me in, or more less bribed with the Tallest to bring me back to his home base here and work on me. I've only just started to appreciate Zim's brilliance there. It was a good plan."
"I guess he's not as stupid as he acts."
"No. He's still a big moron, but he has a lot to offer. Not as an Invader, but in other ways I could never have dreamed."
"What?"
Tak looked down at the robot. "Zim has taught me that there is more to life than being an Invader, or serving the Empire. Not directly, but I see it in him. He is different now. Happy dare I say."
"You think he finally found a home on this rock?"
"Yes, by helping out the humans that live upon its surface. That clairvoyance sure brought out the best in him."
"Ah, yes. His psychic abilities... I'm still trying to understand."
"You saw it yourself, MiMi. I was driven to madness, and that Scree had a helping hand in getting me there."
MiMi delved deep into her thoughts, the cogs of her mind whirring it over. She never suspected supernatural influences, but her mistress's change was very rapid. She was an artificial intelligence, made from the universe's most advanced technology. It was a different world to the one she belonged to.
"So do you think you can finally move on now?" MiMi asked.
"Yes, definitely. I think Zim and I could even be good friends after this."
"You have certainly changed your tune. It's refreshing to see. You can now finally live up to your true potential."
"It's what I've searched for my whole life: a chance to be the best that I can be. I think I finally found my shield..."
"I don't understand. Shield?"
"The spirit that resides in my circuity thrives off my most negative emotions. It gives her strength, and I give in to her. But not anymore. Since you came along, you helped me see more clearly."
"Another reason to forgive Zim. It was he who brought me here and fixed me up. Surprisingly he did a good job of putting me back together, though I think I lost my ability to do sufficient calculus, but I'm still pretty intact."
"I can have a look at your calculator later. Stupid Zim can't do anything right."
"I think that's very unfair, after everything he did for you. You should be worshipping the ground he walks on."
MiMi glared up at her mistress, seriously. Then they both burst out laughing.
"Oh MiMi. Your humour knows no bounds..."
"Yes, that would be taking it a little too far. Since you're both friends now, can you get his SIR to leave me alone? His stink is nauseating, and then there's the stupid thing."
"I'll see what I can do."
They looked around the park, taking in all the scenes. Tak thought she could finally see what Zim saw at that moment. There was some beauty here. Of course they hadn't gone beyond the city before, but this planet wasn't so bad. At least the people here today were okay. The park was usually filled with weirdos at best.
Tak took in fresh air (as fresh as fresh goes in the city), and sat back in the swing, pushing it back and forth.
...
Tenn remained patient as that troublesome toddler grabbed a hold of her hair.
He nearly yanked her wig off. She had to keep her hands in place so it wouldn't come off. They were at the back of the yard by the tall hedge, but there were still too many human eyes around.
Skoodge came over and gave her some help. "Stop! Bad baby!" he scolded Kenny.
He laughed evilly, and yanked some more.
"Molly! We need a little help over here!"
Skoodge looked over at the house. That was where he last saw Molly. She must have disappeared inside. Where was the mother? Surely she could come and control her unruly toddler.
"I'm finding it hard not to remember my training from over a century ago. So many ways I could end this beastly child—"
"Don't speak of such things! Kenny's not so bad, are you, little chubba wub!"
Skoodge lowered to Kenny's eye level as he talked that stupid baby talk.
Kenny blew a raspberry. Skoodge looked aghast. "Well I say! I'm offended." He folded his arms.
Molly arrived at last. "I'm coming!" she yelled.
She finally reached the end of the yard, carrying three juice boxes. "Here you go, a juice box each."
Kenny saw something shiny next, and ran off to follow it.
Tenn fixed her wig again, relieved that he finally went away. She looked up at the juice. "Is it safe?"
"Just pretend to drink it," Skoodge told her.
"So, this is what a human garden party looks like?" Tenn asked now, looking around the yard. The adults talked, most probably about politics. It looked like an animated discussion.
"Garden party? Do we look like English royalty? This is a BBQ!" Molly snapped.
"Fine, BBQ then, whatever that means. What is that?"
Molly pointed over to the grill where the meat was sizzling heavenly. Her uncle manned the station like he was a professional chef. The meat smelled awful to Tenn.
"I just remembered that I'm a vegetarian..." she said.
"Well I'm gonna eat a cheeseburger! Yum yum! Beef in mah belly!"
Somewhere, Julia cried...
"With ketchup?" Skoodge asked, clasping his hands. Ketchup wasn't too bad.
"Yeah!"
"Listen to her: "I'm gonna eat a cheeseburger!"
Molly turned around. There were her awful twin cousins. Becky and Jenny.
"Leave me alone! This is my house, and you have to be nice to me!"
Becky laughed. "And what are you going to do, munchkin?"
"Ha, munckin!" Jenny repeated. How original.
Tenn walked over and stood by Molly's side to investigate the twins. Skoodge stayed far away. He never liked Becky and Jenny, as they were always mean to him. They called him chubby.
"Wow..." Tenn said, marvelling over their striking similarities. "Split zygote?"
Becky stared speechless. "Split what?"
They hadn't studied that in biology yet.
"You're so alike. I couldn't imagine having someone so like myself close by all the time. I always considered my best friend Zee from years back like a sister, but still. It must be like looking in the mirror."
The girl pulled a face. "Whatever, weirdo. Stop talking to us."
"Hey, she isn't a weirdo, she's my friend," Molly said.
Tenn looked down at Molly surprised. A small smile spread over her lips. It felt great to hear her say that word.
She looked up at Becky again. Her expression changed immediately. "You two could benefit from some basic obedience training. Shouldn't take you monkeys long to learn."
Becky looked over at her sister in disbelief, and then moved in closer to Tenn. She was just a little taller than her.
"What did you call me?" she said.
Tenn kept her face straight. "Monkey," she replied. "You could also benefit from some listening classes too."
"Watch your mouth..."
Tenn narrowed her eyes. The girl had a nerve. "Take a good look at this face. Do I look scared to you? Your attempts to intimidate me aren't working. And how does one 'watch' their mouth?"
"You will be scared."
"Then go ahead, scare me..."
The twin shifted her weight between her legs, trying her best not to break the stare until she finally gave in. Tenn didn't blink once.
"Oh, forget it! You're just a weirdo. You deserve to be friends with Molly."
She turned around and started walking away, but then Tenn grabbed her arm and pulled her close.
"I may have been able to regain my self-control with the little one there," she pointed at Kenny, "but I won't so much with you. I'd be careful about what you say around my friends."
"Get off!"
"Oh, and you may want to update your oral cleansing habits. I've fought beasts with fresher breath."
Molly laughed and pointed at Becky. "Ha! Take that, stinky breath!"
The girl stomped off in anger. "What a bitch!" she was heard saying as she stormed off.
"You do kinda stink though, Becks," Jenny said. "Your morning breath is worse!"
"Well your face is fugly!" Becky yelled. They have the same face, but who cares...
They started bickering next, and then it got violent until their mother appeared.
"Rebecca! Jennifer! Time out now!"
She ordered them inside, and made them sit on the naughty step for twelve minutes. All naughty children belonged on the naughty step, even if they were coming up to twelve.
Tenn gave an evil smirk, and placed the straw of her juice box in her mouth to give a victory sip. She lost her cool next once her tongue burnt.
She tried to hide the smoke as Molly came over and gave her a hug.
"You and I are going to be best friends from now on, Tenn! That was amazing!" she yelled.
Tenn smiled down at her. She was glad she met this Earth smeet after all, despite her glaring disobedience. Not to forget her baby brother too. Maybe she liked that Molly was wild and free. It made a pleasant change.
The world was a much brighter place when she was around her. That's what she focused on. Not her awful past, but the present moment.
Skoodge stood proud as he observed his two favourite girls from a distance. Today was a good day indeed. Baby Kenny ran past him next, chasing that shiny thing he saw.
Skoodge shook his head, and then kicked a ball for him to play with. He ran after it.
...
Tallest Miyuki looked down at that sorry creature below her feet. How she had escaped her clutches was a mystery, but the fact that she had the audacity— and the stupidity— to come back to Irk on her special day made her blood boil.
It had been her 100th day celebration as Irk's ruler. Not a normal celebration, but Miyuki had made many changes to Irken society. Whether they were good changes was a question of debate.
Was she looking out for Irk's best interests? By abolishing all disabilities from Irken society? There had been drastic changes in performance in all sectors from engineering, medical research and even drone work. However, the population had decreased by 60%.
Some of her guards had to be let go. One had a reading problem, and another had a hard time of telling left from right. Their brawn was all that mattered really, but she had to make sacrifices.
All these characteristics would slow down Irk's progress by hundreds of years, but it turned out that they made up a larger majority than she previously thought. Not a very clever tactic in the end. She would have to see to that. Smeets from now on would be born flawless in their mental and physical prowess. There may be occasional glitches in every generation, but as long as they made up the minority, that was fine.
All left over Irkens had to donate their genes. Selective breeding would create the new and desirable race that Irk needed. Universal conquest was but a dream on the horizon.
There was one who completely disagreed. Many disabled Irkens excelled in their work, despite their difficulties. Who did she think she was to judge someone's abilities based on a physical or mental defect? There were other planets out there that embraced all differences. It was the diversity that made everyone unique, but not here. Not anymore, anyway. Perfection was all that mattered.
Perfect didn't exist. It was fantasy...
Scree kept her eyes on the ground, sensing the hostility all around the room. It originated from the centre stage where that grand and oh so perfect ruler stood.
Miyuki's blue eyes tapered.
"Look at me when I speak to you."
Scree never moved an inch. An Irken guard zapped her with his spear. She fell to her knees. The pain went right through her muscles.
"Are you willing to comply now?"
"Like I really have a choice?"
"It's pleasing to know that you have some brains locked away in that traitor head of yours. What were you thinking? Coming back to Irk with an Army of Devastians? You should have just stayed where you were. Irk is better off without your kind slowing down its progress."
Scree glared up. How dare she say such things. Slow down? Irk was on its way to destruction. Some of the smartest Irkens she knew had disabilities.
"Do you really think your plan will work?"
"Yes. I have had many reports of increased performance all over the Empire. The stats never lie."
"It will only work for a short while. The long term effects will creep up and bite you in the ass! You have less than half the Irkens that you had before. How are you going to make up that drastic loss in the population?"
"There are enough Irkens left to sustain Irk's numbers. Don't you worry about the long term effects, dear. You won't be there to witness them anyway."
Scree laughed. "I'm not surprised. You love sending people to their deaths!"
Miyuki looked down and smiled. "Yes, people like you. You're a wart on the face of Irken society. The fewer warts, the more beautiful our race will be."
"You're wrong, so very wrong. I was going to do it, you know, pollute your new and advanced race of Irken babies. So that way you wouldn't have a choice but to keep all your warts!"
"Ah, yes, this funny concoction." Miyuki held up the vial. It was empty now. "Did you think this would really work?"
"You have no idea what was in there, do you?"
"What does it matter now. It's all gone. Besides, the lab will get back to me shortly with the results."
Scree looked up at her darkly. "What have you done with him?" she asked next.
"I'm assuming you're referring to your lord of Devastis. He will be trialled, like you. Did you honestly believe he had your best interests at heart?"
"Why not? He was there for me after all when you had me banished!"
Miyuki laughed. "You foolish girl. You were merely a pawn in his game. He needed you. Who else would reveal the secrets of our beautiful society but a sad and dejected cripple!"
"You're lying. He cared about me. He cared about us all!"
"Let me guess, because of their natural blindness? Devastians evolved deep underground. It's not a disability for them; it's an evolutionary advantage. We did retrieve some of their interesting technology. This device, for example, increases their sensory receptors." She held up a tiny object. "It was plucked out the ear hole of a dead Devastian."
"He is my friend. I demand you let him go!"
"Why? He didn't have a lot of good things to say about you. In fact, I'll let you hear it from him."
Miyuki looked to the guards by the door. "He is ready. Let him through."
The guards acknowledged her order, and opened the door.
A tall, bound alien was let through. He had small, white eyes and an extended nose with a hand-like appendage. Each finger on the hand could pick up the tiniest vibrations. He had no external ears.
He couldn't see his enemies, but he regarded them with that hand in disgust.
"Lord Devron. How nice of you to join us," Miyuki said.
The tentacles on Lord Devron's nose picked up her voice, and he snarled.
"What do you want with me?" His voice was thick and brusque.
"Nothing much. Just tell your little friend here how you were going to betray her after you conquered us all..."
Scree laughed. "I don't have to listen to this."
"Or how about I tell you instead that it was all her idea?" he suggested.
Scree's face froze. What was he muttering about?"
"Yes, I heard it all before, but let her know of your betrayal."
"Will it grant me my freedom?" he asked.
Miyuki hesitated. "No, but it may stop me from ordering my guards to shock you with their spears."
"Fine... What else do I have to lose."
Lord Devron's nose picked up Scree's familiar scent. It reeked of shame and disappointment, and a bit of madness now.
"I was never going to give you Irk, my dear. As a matter of fact, as soon as I destroyed the military, I was going to obliterate you and the other disabled Irkens. And of course your new and precious race of equal babies. You're a fool."
"No... you... you took me in. Treated me like kin!"
"If it gets me the information I need, then whatever it takes. Your whining was infuriating, but I can see now why you were so irritated by this sorry excuse of a leader."
Miyuki scowled. "Sorry excuse? Look in the mirror... Oh, I do apologise, very insensitive of me... I wasn't the one who sent my people to their death! You should have just stayed on your planet. Universal conquest is not your thing. For a start, you need to see the planet you hope to destroy!"
"I can see perfectly with my nose. My ships were designed to accommodate for our blindness."
"Yes, the things at the front that resemble your freakish noses. Take him away. The sight of him is making me sick. Lucky his kind won't be around for long."
"Your planet smells like charred meat, my Tallest. A most unpleasant scent. It was hard to see around it!"
"The charred meat comes from the stars. Everyone knows that." Miyuki waved her hand. "Please, send him back to his cell."
"Liar!" Scree shouted. "I can't believe I trusted you!"
"And I can't believe you were stupid enough to trust me. The liquid was a diversion, why couldn't you see that? What use would I have for a bunch of deformed Irken smeets!"
He laughed as he was dragged through the double doors.
"Something we agree on..." Miyuki said. She looked down at Scree. The poor Irken's eyes were shining from the lights above. The realisation that she had no one left in the universe who truly cared for her must be hard. Her friends were killed, all because of her.
"Take her away. Her trial will start tomorrow. The sooner her kind is eradicated, then the faster I can work on perfecting our race."
Scree's face hardened, as her eyes lit up. They flashed green.
"You won't see the last of me. I promise."
"Oh but we will. You see, the Control Brains decide whose memories stay and whose will go. It's safe to assume the latter on this occasion."
"I'm not talking about memories!"
"Nothing else lives on, dear. Whatever smeet inherits your PAK after it is cleansed of your memories can take comfort in that."
"No she won't..."
"You assume it will be a she?"
"I see her already!"
Miyuki rolled her eyes. "I think she has finally lost her mind. Please, send her away before she offends someone."
Scree was dragged away, spouting nonsense all over the room. Some of the guards looked disturbed.
"Good riddance," Miyuki said. "I have much more important matters at hand."
She hovered out of the room to go down to the lab to see what work they were up to.
Scree's screaming continued down the hall as the memory faded away.
...
Zim's eyes snapped open. He was lying on the floor. The chair had been knocked over.
He sat up and felt his face. He was Zim again, but he was covered in sweat. At least it washed away those pencil marks where GIR had drew a moustache. He unknowingly wiped his moustache away.
It was as if he had relived the memories himself. The face of the lord of Devastis lingered in his memory, and he shivered. So ugly. He was glad they went extinct.
"Uh-hum..."
He looked up, and there was Tak. MiMi was on her right.
"What was that you said earlier about taking a break?"
GIR was supposed to have woken him before someone arrived. The bot was too busy trying to pet MiMi's swatting tail.
Zim sat up and sighed, folding his legs together. "How long have you been stood there?"
"Long enough to hear you shout complete nonsense."
"I had to see more... Miyuki was a real bitch. How did we never see it before?"
Tak folded her arms. "Well, she was a lot more competent than our planet's current leaders. We'll give her some credit. What did you see this time?"
He stood and propped the chair up again, and sat down.
"Just a little more. The ruler of Devastis was going to betray her in the end anyway."
Tak took in what he said, and sat down on the couch across from him. "I always wondered the same thing about the Meekrob. Well, until after I joined forces with them. I did have the backup of the Resisty."
"Such a stupid name," Zim said, squeezing his fist. "You had your own band of mismatched aliens, like Scree had her band of disabled Irkens. Mismatched all the same I guess."
"Are you trying to find parallels between us?" Tak asked.
"Well, aren't you? You brought up the Meekrob."
"I suppose I did. It was always me, you know, from the start when I tried to take your mission. Everything else after was a blur. I always assumed it was my unrelenting hatred for you bursting through the surface, but I realise now that she had a big part to play."
"Where are you going with this? And unrelenting? Please!"
"I don't feel that hatred for you anymore..."
"So what do you feel for me now? Oh no. Not this again... Zim is very adorable, true, but that ship sailed long ago, Tak! We are never getting back together! Ever!"
Tak pushed him off the chair. Her face was livid. "You're not being serious?! I never liked you anyway! You were boring."
"Boring?"
"Yes..."
Zim couldn't fathom it. He was many things, but never boring.
"Okay, I'm sorry I went there. So what is it that you feel for Zim now?"
"Gratitude. I want to rip out my tongue and put it in the blender for admitting it, but you have done a lot for me, Zim."
"We don't have a blender anyway, but I'm proud of you, Tak. It takes a lot of courage to forgive. I mean I'd forgiven you long ago!"
"No you didn't..."
"Fine, I didn't. It was always hard for me too."
"That's very brave of you to say."
Things turned awkward and silent again. Zim scratched the back of his head.
"So, do we hug now or something? I get so confused," he said.
Tak glared at him. "Do I look like I want to hug you?"
"I suppose not. I only reserve hugs for Molly I and Molly II now."
"And GIR?" GIR asked.
"No!"
GIR's bottom lip wiggled as he sat down and wrapped his arms around his legs. So weird.
"Do you think you've seen everything now?" Tak asked.
"Yes. There's still small links to the story that need to be filled, but I can put the trivial pieces together. For one I want to know how she got into the smeetry."
"What does it matter? It's all in the past."
"I guess so..."
Tak's eyes lit up next.
"What is it?" he asked.
She stood up and left the room.
"Nothing. Everything's fine," she said.
She went down into the labs. Zim never asked her why. Not that she was free to go down there anyway.
MiMi followed her as she scowled at GIR blubbering on the floor. He reached his arms out for her.
"Kitty?"
MiMi shook her head and followed her mistress down into the lab. GIR cried again. No one wanted to give him a hug.
Tak had felt her UPS tracking system buzz to life. It was lodged deep in her brain. It was a procedure that Lard Nar ensured all new Resisty recruits had inserted if any of them went missing. It also had a self-destruction device, but still, it was very precise.
It could track down in a number of Earth days.
A/N: here's a short (long) version to Scree/Green Eyes' back story — based on my notes.
Scree/Green Eyes was a disabled Irken — got injured in training as a smeet— and is eventually promoted to a scientist after years of being a drone. One day Miyuki becomes Tallest and introduces a new policy that kills all Irkens with disabilities. Irken society becomes obsessed with 'perfection'. Scree escaped with a bunch of other disabled Irkens and they find refuge on Devastis — home to a naturally blind race that can see via vibrations. Scree finds trust in the lord of the Devastians — Lord Devron — and she reveals everything about the Irken military and their smeetries in the core of Irk. She is persuaded to go in via a secret mission and uses the super fluid to cause sickness amongst the Irken smeets. She gets to Irk via a small ship, disguised as an Irken ship, and lands in the cargo bay wearing a stealth suit (answer to Zim's question). Irk is celebrating Miyuki's 100th day celebration —whatever that is in Irk's time frame— (that last bit is actually written in my notes), so the whole planet is at the auditorium. Her vision is to make all Irkens equal in her twisted way, vows to fight alongside Lord Devron in his war against the Irken Empire — Devron promises he will give her Irk so she can rule over a race of 'equal' Irkens. The super fluid won't cause brain damage, just physical abnormalities. Her friend Bren is aware of the super fluid but keeps his peace until the last moment. He was loyal till that part, but he just wants a good life in the end with Scree (I should say that I never planned a romance between Scree and Bren). Scree was basically a pawn in the war used by Devron, and he was going to kill her in the end anyway and the smeets she infected. Irk's first conquered planet is Devastis — this is how it all began.
That is a summary. It's written terribly because it is based exactly off raw notes. I wanted you to see them in that way as I see them as a diary and very personal.
I don't think I tackled Scree's storyline in a very professional manner, but you have to remember I am not a pro novelist or experienced writer (yet). I'm still starting out. That's why there is so many "whats" in her background and loose ends. I could have gone into more detail, but it would have been a whole new story, and took even longer to write. It is better that I showed you rather than told you with two flashbacks. I hope you picked up the pieces through those scenes. I did provide a small rundown of the beginning of Scree's story at the end of the last chapter.
I apologise for Bren's death. It was just so quick and I don't think I touched upon it as I should have done. I hate it when the death of a character is nothing more than an afterthought in a novel. Scree by that point was desensitized as it was told from her POV. Her lack of compassion was what terrified her, but it didn't last. She's become dark and twisted in her pursuits, so much that a loyal friend's death has little effect on her. Bren followed her to Irk to stop her making a big mistake, and could have risked being caught. Of which he was later killed. He could have run off and started his own life, but he didn't want to leave without Scree. Too bad he didn't. There's more I'd like to know about Bren. His name is Ben with an R. I kinda like it.
Scree's philosophy is just as messed up as Miyuki's. Making everyone equal by directly causing harm is as bad as demolishing those with a physical or mental disability. I don't agree with any of them. I was going to initially create an OC Tallest for Scree's backstory, because I didn't want to make Miyuki bad. I always liked her, but I thought it was best to stick to a canon character. Let's be honest, she was an Irken ruler, of course she wasn't going to be all that good. She oversaw Lard Nar's team building the Massive, a huge war ship meant for destruction (at least Miyuki is miserable in that plaza in the afterlife now, thinking her actions over).
I try to justify Scree's actions by the fact that she was oppressed by her society. No, they aren't justifiable in the slightest, but that is the backbone of writing villains. You have (don't have to really, can make them evil for the sake of evil if you want, like I did with Molly's killer) to give them some reader empathy, so you can at least understand why they did what they did. That's what I was told by a bunch of writers on an original story site when I sought help (that was for a villain in an original story). Scree's actions had some purpose, albeit twisted, though they don't make a stick of sense. She's a sociopath. Her sense of right and wrong are messed up. Maybe Miyuki is one too. No, she is just a typical Iron Lady...
Miyuki's obsession with perfection kinda reminds me of our society's obsession with perfection too. Look at the media. It's awful. It's like all that matters is looks. Drives me mad. This is how we should all look *insert picture of an airbrushed model that could also be Pixar's next big star* Models don't even look real in magazines. They look like computer generated cartoons. Remember that.
I hope you weren't offended by Miyuki's desire to end all disabilities. I, too, have a learning disability associated with Dyslexia, like her guard. I also have slight dyspraxia as I get mixed up with left and right, like the other guard. I have to apologise to cab drivers when I choose the wrong way...
I don't ever let it hold me back though. I've worked hard in life and that's all that matters. At my last job they hired a number of dyslexics and people with disabilities, even had facilities that accommodated their needs. I got a lot of useful tips on how to get on with the work there as you had to be fast. Everyone has something to offer. Doesn't matter who they are (we're all beautiful).
Now on to Zim's stunted growth. I wasn't going to do that initially, but I wanted Scree's storyline to have a connection with Zim (after ngrey's review got me thinking). I don't think he has anything to be ashamed of. Embrace your shortness, Zim, and don't think "what if". It's pointless. If you hadn't been stunted, you wouldn't be the unique little Irken you are now.
I don't know what was in the vial. It's some alien pollutant that in large quantities can affect health, or possibly inflict death. Zim got out lucky.
The Devastians are based off an Earth mammal: the Star-Nosed Mole. Really freakish looking. They are blind, but have a snout shaped like a star (hence the name), which they use to detect the vibrations of invertebrates in soil. They do look like something from out of space. I should say that the Devastians cannot hear very well, but they still have ears, but they sense the world with their noses. Devron is a name I made up; at least I think I did. It's just Devon with an R.
We finally know all of Molly's nieces and nephews' names. Here they are in order of age: Gregg, the college student; Kaylee, the teenage baby sitter; Becky and Jenny, the evil twins; Sam, Kaylee's younger brother; little Molly, Molly's namesake; baby Kenny, little Molly's younger brother; and last of all Baby Johnny.
Space smells like charred meat, according to astronauts. It's something to do with stars.
UPS is just GPS but with a U. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. The Resisty would be tracking Tak all over the Universe.
And finally, Zim and Tak are never, ever getting back together (insert song by Taylor Swift). I hope you aren't disappointed, but I just don't feel a spark between them when I write them together. In order to make characters fall in love, you have to fall in love with the idea of them together too. No spark, no love... That doesn't stop me enjoying other fanfics where they do fall in love. I read one a while ago where Tak is pregnant with Zim's smeets, and it really had that 'aw' factor. It was written really well, and so funny. The author also shipped Tenn and Skoodge, so there's a plus. Parenthood that fanfiction was called. May as well give credit. I still think it is in my favourites. Will have to see to that if not.
Unfortunately, that will never be the case even for Tenn and Skoodge in this — Babies that is. I already established Irkens as a sterile race. Sad, I know; Skoodge will never know the miracle of childbirth... (yes, Skoodge).
Though stay in tune to see what I have in store for them. I think the idea is brilliant and I even want to write a separate, short fanfiction for it when this is over.
See you soon I guess. Let's hope the wait wasn't as long as the last.