Sorry I haven't updated this story in a while, I've been working on my other one, "The Asylum is for the Sane". I will try my hardest to update this more often! I have a very busy few weeks for the remainder of October and I'm hoping for some time off soon. I've been writing one shots and working on another story (of which I still have not completed Chapter 1) so hopefully I'll be able to post new stuff on a weekly basis and I do apologize if I miss a week.
All characters you recognize…yaddy yaddy yadda.
Xna, Natalie, Gaby, Iris, and Rose are mine.
Feel free to do as you wish with the characters or scenes in the story (quick spin offs, pictures, etc.) but send me a link so I can see! :)
Chapter 5: Important Call and a New Discovery
The walk back to the little green, neon, home was rather tranquil. Not a word was spoken, the only sound was the gentle thud of feet hitting against the sidewalk.
That ended entirely once they opened the front door…
The house was in shambles. Machine parts, articles of clothing, and food were scattered everywhere and the Tallests were passing out in exhaustion on the couch. Two equally insane robots, one in its dog suit the other 'naked', ran like wild animals through the mess, a squealing mini-moose followed them on.
The majority of those who had just stepped in looked on ward in utter shock. The only two who didn't seem the least bit surprised were Zim and Xna, who simply looked tired and out of the mood, "Computer, clean up this mess!" Zim commanded; nothing happened. "Computer!" still nothing, "eh? COMPUTER!"
"It doesn't recognize your voice, Blooke-caw." Xna rolled her eyes.
"Zim is no dumb-ass!" he defended.
Another eye roll, "Computer!" the sound of a machine buzzing to life filled the house. "Get this mess cleaned up."
Long metallic arms shot from the ceiling and began picking the debris and trash from the floor, quickly and efficiently.
Walking through the mess, Xna went to grab one of the twin SIR Units, only to have him let out a high pitched shout and turn tail in another direction, leaving Xna to fall face first. Pulling herself back up she went to grab at the two again only to come up with the same result. Natalie snickered off to the side.
A growl emitted from deep in Xna's throat, "if you think you could do better than help me!" she hissed.
Natalie shook her head in a pitying fashion. "You're never going to catch them." She stated blandly, to which Xna mumbled some response, "and honestly neither am I, we're never going to get any work finished either."
"And what, exactly do you suggest then?" Xna asked standing and brushing the filth from her clothes. "I can't exactly hire a babysitter."
"Not a bad idea actually…" Natalie pondered the idea.
"Eh…?" Xna seemed confused.
"Do you have a phone or something in this high tech dump?"
Xna stared at Natalie as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head before sighing; a sign of defeat to whatever Natalie was suggesting, just wanting to get some work done and be rid of the current problem, hopefully before her parents returned. Snapping her fingers, she commanded, "Computer! Open communication lines for Nat-Freak."
With an annoyed and mechanic groan, the sassy computer dropped down a small black screen with a pink rim.
"Contact: Downtown Cupcakery," Natalie requested.
"Connecting…" the computer droned.
There was a short pause before the other end picked up, "Hello, Downtown Cupcakery. How may I help you?"
As Natalie continued with the phone call, Zim, Dib, and Gaz followed Xna down the toilet-elevator in the kitchen to the lower labs.
Dropping down into a chair in front of the main monitor, Xna started to type away, logging into what looked like some fancy intergalactic chat line.
After a few clicks of the key board and lazy clicks of Xna's tongue against the roof of her mouth, Xna suddenly and blandly stated, "Usually, I prefer a face to face video call, but since Natalie is using my voice and video feed I'll have to settle for this."
The three past-teens stared at the screen watching as Xna entered into her account, the arrow clicking over the name "Prisoner 777" before opening a small chat box
"Hello, it's Xna. I am in need of schematics; I was wondering if you possess what I am looking for."
The response was quick. "What do you need?"
"Time Machine Blue-Prints. Do you have anything along those lines?"
"No. I'm Vortian, not magic. I have looked into the idea though; I have a list of things you would definitely need to put it together. I can send that but the rest you need to piece together."
Xna's face brightened, seeing a possible solution revealing itself. "Great. Thank you."
It wasn't long before a long sheet was printed from a slot on the console, close to where Xna was sitting. Yanking the paper out, Xna's eyes scanned over it. "Computer. A pen?" A metallic arm came from the twisted wire ceiling and held the requested item out. Taking the pen she quickly checked the items on the list that were already accounted for from the spittle runner.
"Irk damn…" she cursed.
"What is it?" Dib curiously interjected.
"There are parts on here I don't have possession of, it'll take ages to get them!" Xna shouted, slamming the paper onto her keyboard, resulting in numerous windows to pop up on the screen.
"Visitor at the Front Door." The computer announced, before the sound of a loud and overly exaggerated door bell sounded through the base.
Groaning, Xna, as well as Dib, Zim, and Gaz stepped back into the elevator. Walking into the living room they could hear a female voice.
"It's no problem at all, but if you don't mind my asking, why exactly do you need a babysitter?" A girl with Purple hair was talking to Natalie at the front door.
"Hello, Gaby." Xna greeted.
"Oh hi Xn-Oh my!" Gaby lifted her head to greet the jade skinned female only to see teen versions of what appeared to be her friends' parents.
Turning slightly to see that Gaby was gaping at the now undisguised adolescents, she nodded her head slightly. "I am I need of your ability to control Gir. Shall I have the computer prepare the guest room in the lower labs for you?"
Still in shock, Gaby only nodded slowly.
Xna gave a quick head-shake, signaling her approval. "I have to make a very important transmission. Do not interrupt me." With that they watched as Xna turned and headed back through the kitchen and into the lower labs once again, via toilet.
The moment she left, two enthusiastic robots bounded into the room, leaping and landing atop of Gaby. Letting out a winded "oof!" she fell back into the floor, almost tumbling through the open door and off of the front door step.
Being knocked out of her numb state of shock from earlier, Gaby collected both SIR Units in her arms and hoisted herself from the ground.
She cleared her throat loudly, before lifting her head up high and carrying the childlike androids to a end table, waiting for it the bring up and elevator and take her to GIR's "room", which mainly consisted of filth, rotting food, and the odd pig.
Natalie watched her friend walk away, before glancing out the door beside her that remained wide open. She sighed, picking her book bag, which she had brought along with her, off of the ground and tossing it to hang over one of her shoulders. "I need to go," she said quietly. "I'll be back tomorrow after school to help with designing the…time machine." She seemed to have paused searching for the right words, finally settling on the final two, though it did sound rather ridiculous, not to mention impossible. She muttered something on the way out, her words incoherent especially after the "thunking" noise the door made as she left and closed it behind her.
The three teens and two Tallests hung around on the upper level of the base, still waiting for Xna to be finished the call. The computer had long since finished with cleaning the mess left by the two enthusiastic and spontaneous robots. Gaz was leaning against the side of the couch, her posterior on the floor as she tapped at the buttons on her GameSlave. Red was peering over the edge, intrigued by the flashing and murder noises coming from the small device, staying out of her light left Gaz indifferent and uncaring to the fact. Purple was resting his head on the palm of his hand, blankly staring ahead at nothing. Zim paced the floor, a habit he had become accustomed to when he grew restless. Dib was sitting with his back to the wall, next to the TV.
Sighing, Tallest Purple stood from his seat and stretched his arms. He glanced at the kitchen before heading to the toilet-elevator.
"Where are you going?" Red raised an eye-ridge at him, in a way that seemed to be to make his co-ruler feel stupid.
"I'm bored and I'm going downstairs to see what is taking so much time." With that, Purple flushed himself down to the lower labs.
Once down he walked for a few short minutes, until he heard the exchanging of words from behind some door labeled "Communications" in Irken scroll. Forcing the purple door open, he stepped in, the further he made his way into the room the more coherent the voices became. Both were without a doubt female, one was recognizable as the defective Zim's future smeet, Xna, the other seemed vaguely familiar but was still unrecognizable.
An exasperated sigh sounded from the other end of the line, "Xna, you know perfectly well that if I could I would quicken the postal system and get the parts to you but I just can't." Purple finally came to the area of communications standing on a high up platform and looking down at a screen with a Irken female, probably in her teenage stage, on the view screen. Her skin was the same vibrant shade, as Purple's, her eyes sparkled a bright turquoise, her lekku stuck from her head, hanging behind her, signaling the truth and apology in her earlier words, they were mostly straight with a slightly curling tip. She was incredibly tall for her species, not as tall as Purple but definitely enough so to be in the Tallests' training academy.
Unlike most Irkens she didn't wear the familiar uniform; she was not dressed as a service drone, an invader, an assassin, or any sort of simple citizen. This was a fact that confused Purple to no end, this Irken was wearing royal robes, of a soft lavender colour.
Her hands were ungloved, and instead, locked hand clamps took their place, showing that she was either a mate to, directly related to, or she was currently a Tallest.
"There has to be something faster that we can do!" Xna pressed on, "we could all fade to oblivion if we don't do something! Yourself and Rose included! Irk! Our Parents could die and be replaced by their past selves in this time!" Xna was desperate, that much was obvious and with every right to be.
Purple took note of how Xna seemed to speak to her less like a superior and more of a friend.
"I am well aware of that fact." The other female replied. "I just don't think there is anything that I can do…"
"Can't you ask your father?" she begged.
"I doubt he would have a solution, my father's compassionate, Tallest Red is the one with intellect and determination and I am unable to contact him during the Battle of Intergalactic Doom."
"You can't convince Rose to speak with him?"
"You know that she is competing and it is discouraged to have communications that could benefit your fighting."
"There has to be something, a hundred years long wait is just too…long." Xna tapped her clawed fingers against the console. A silence carried above the two before something seemed to click in Xna's head. "Wait! How long does it take a voot to make it to Earth?"
"Approximately 6 months…" The girl's eyes sprung to life when she realized what she was getting herself into.
"Then there's hope! You could be here in a matter of days, earth time then!" Xna's entire demeanor lit up.
"I can't just leave my parents and go, t could start a entire war, if you haven't noticed I've been locked in my own home for days because my father already doesn't trust anyone."
"Then send back a transmission after you're on your way, he'd know you're fine then and he wouldn't be able to stop you!"
"Even if I did consider that, where exactly could I stay? If what you told me about the time travelling is true, I can't imagine you having any space left in your base." Iris stared at the screen skeptically. "Besides, I promised Rose I would stop leaving to places without her, that's why I dropped out of the Invader's training academy. I refuse to break my word to her." The girl on the screen's eyes narrowed and her lekku pulled back and thickened slightly, showing she was becoming offended and tired of the conversation.
"Then don't leave her, bring her too." Xna said.
The Irken female let out a defeated sigh, "and living arrangements?"
"My room should prove to be more than sufficient." Xna calmly said adding in, "I usually fall asleep at the computer anyway."
Another sigh, "very well…"
"My deepest gratefulness, Tall Iris."
The other Irken waved a hand dismissively.
Purple was finally able to find what branch she was of royalty. She was apparently a Tallests' daughter, his presumably. According to the conversation Red also had a daughter, Rose. He had to admit though, he was curious about the promise she had claimed she had made for Red's daughter. He had assumptions but didn't dare think it over too much, there were situations where she could simply want a bitchy, fellow Irken to stop hassling her, but then again, there were also situations where she was committing an illegal act and could possibly be executed.
Purple shook his head to clear it of all thoughts. He quickly made his way back to the elevator, to get back to the upper level. His being there did not have to be known to Xna, it wasn't as if it mattered but he suppose he should keep his knowledge of his daughter to remain a secret to the point of her arrival.
Phew! Took me long enough; sorry about that! I NEVER intended to take that long! I've been very busy this month though and I've had some friends in real life pestering me for updates on my other story.I must admit, I enjoy typing this one more but the other one's lots of fun and they seem to like it so…meh…
Let me know what you think! And I shall try to update faster this time!