Chapter 24: " Consolation "

As soon as the sound of drilling began, the generator shook vehemently and the thick cables attached to the man's back trembled from the event. The smeet's entire body constricted and his heart stopped, with blood rushing to his head. Frantically, his mind tried to analyze the situation as if he was the one in danger. His nerves snapped into unsettle and were receiving increasingly high signals from his panicking brain. He realized the cables that had been installed against his PAK were designed with drilling mechanics and were currently boring through the metal, even more so than what the Soldiers had done. The man's breathing increased, and he inhaled through his nostrils with fierceness. The sounds of drilling changed to a gurgled growl as it moved past metal to flesh and muscle.

The man screamed with a stringent agony. He bent over and his trembling legs tried to walk, as his adrenaline and pain confused his senses of fight or flight motions. The weight on his back forced his legs to falter, and he fell to his knees and elbows with his wrists still bound together by the ray band. His howling echoed within the entire chamber, and the intensity rang in the smeet's antennae. His heart rate increased inhumanely high as it leaped in his chest and he froze in a state of uttermost horror. Wide eyed and covering his mouth with both hands, he continued watching with a blanking mind. Dark green blood was flowing down his back,and it dripped on the floor incessantly. He wanted to tear his eyes away from the scene, but he was petrified. Things inside wormed through his body and sickened him despite his flaring nerves that froze his stature. The Soldiers occupying the stage as well watched the man with little to no reaction as if they were accustomed to this. Or even enjoyed it, if reaching far enough.

The drilling intensified, and sputtered as it confronted bone material and began boring through his spine. His voice reached a higher pitch, and his body failed to hold itself. Soon the generator stopped but not his constricted screaming. He was sobbing loudly in it's stead and his body quivered horribly as muscles jerked from shocked. Almost in a bowing prayer with his head to the ground and arms in front of him, he stayed there with an incredible stability. One of the Soldiers approached him slowly, the one who hadn't assaulted him, and knelt beside him. He placed a hand at the base of his neck and the other at his chest and Zim received desperate thoughts that he was going to help the man. But the more blood that seeped out of his back, the more his terror seized his body. Any thoughts of security vanished and he was left to hang upon his dismembered conscious.

The Soldier kept his hand on the man's chest and helped him sit up. He even allowed him to lean against his own body for support and soon Zim realized with a gut wrenching sickness he was preparing his body in position for what was going to occur next. The generator powered loudly and the limp cables on the ground gained height and he widened his eyes at the event. They appeared almost alive, as they seemingly lifted themselves off the ground. But what Zim recognized was much different.

He learned about this machine. He remembered it now, with his mind at peril. His mind stretched into the banks of his sub-conscious as he tried to salvage the rest of it into directing the attention into something else. It was used for those who received the death penalty, a machine that was to remove the PAK device from the individual's spine and body, who was almost always a defective.

The PAK device, when installed in the introductory stages of it's use, utilized two separate elongated drill bits that were modified to connect with the spine of the host, and they were referred to as the apex. Once the PAK analyzed the stages of completion in it's connection, the apex would inject reception synapses, and build a smaller compartment around the spine, called the port for easier mobility whenever the situation ever so occurred for the PAK to disengage, without injuring the host. The apex would then retreat mostly back into the interior of the PAK, and remain their as the main central brain.

The generator that was being used was a machine made specifically for the PAK. The cables that were inserted were drilled in at cardinal sections which allowed the PAK device free mobility, and thoughts and other essential elements. The drilling of those factors destroyed those vital features, and in turn would force the PAK device to transition in a state of peril. Recognizing the event of being under attack, it would enter into lock-down to preserve the rest of the functioning data compartments, and compress it into the apex. The apex would then be ejected, to preserve it's life, to the spine and connect with the port, and ground lock for safety.

That was when the generator would contract the lining of the cables, and they would tighten and constrict with substantial force like a muscle, appearing to straighten and lift themselves. They were preparing to jump, and pull along with them...

Zim snapped out of his reverie when the man started screaming again. The cables lurched backwards, and his back arched ferociously at the force. A fracture or two occurred in that jump alone and Zim realized the Soldier was holding him to keep him from careening along with the cable's forceful pull. The man's eyes were closed and his screams were buried in the Soldier's chest. Blood began spurting out in heavy fonts and Zim saw that the PAK's apex was visible at this point. His entire back was being pulled along with it, breaking his spine and arching his back at an inhumanely acute angle.

The skin covering his bone structure was stretched to it's extent, and then was separated in a fraying fashion, revealing flesh and muscles. However not so long after did the flesh begin to rip off the spine and tear away tendons. The cables jumped once more and for the most part, dislodged the device, along with his back with muscle still attached. However those stringed off moments later and blood spurted from the shearing flesh.

Zim could see his exposed spine being pulled by the intransigent PAK device, the apex still gripping the marrow with intensity. Zim could even see the port. The man gave breath to his lungs one last time and released a final scream, before his entire back gave way. His arched spine broke into disks and fractured shards, which were launched across the room. More blood poured through the gored opening and splashed against tainted grounds, and his horrified howls came to an end. Rent flesh was hanging from the remains of his collapsing back by hatched and wrung sinew. A large chunk was still being clenched by the PAK apex. The spine connected to his brain and tail bone remained in a mangled, protruding mess of shards.

Zim was in an unrecognizable state of emotional trauma. His mind suffered from the immense influx of observational and emotive information and his mind collapsed from the absolution of horror beyond conception. His mouth was gaped, and his insides shivered in a stimulant pain. His throat remained in a terribly tight state, and was the only force that prevented him from screaming out his lungs. His body quaked, and his muscles painfully twitched and jerked when they'd been in a constant state of constriction. The Soldiers looked around their surroundings, and the generator powered down. The one still holding the corpse looked down at the blank, solemn face. Eyes now grey and wiped. What was offsetting was their apathy. As if what had just occurred was just an awkward inconvenience. One scratched his head, and allowed a sigh of impatience to pass through his nostrils.

The small Irken tried to stand, as his erupting mind was telling him to flee, but he fell to his knees under his faltering strength. His stomach churned and suddenly tightened, and he vomited out his sickness. Under constant stress, his mind faltered and sent signals throughout his entire body to panic. He rose to his feet, and walked away on his buckling knees, unable to move any quicker with his aching body. He passed the chairs, and ignored the growing nausea in his body. His shambling mind discombobulated his sense, and he felt numb, and there was a ringing in his head. He was dizzy, but he kept running. He needed to get out. He needed to leave.

Zim open the door to exit, and he saw the Almighty Tallest waiting for him. He turned to meet the small Irken, and a warm smile spread over his face. But it all disappeared when the smeet fell to his knees, and began sobbing vehemently.

Why did they do that? He cried. Why did they kill him!

" Zim. Look, it's alright." He said, chuckling nervously. The Tallest approached the crying smeet and knelt down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Why did you let me see that! They killed him! They killed him, Sono! They killed him! He repeated.

" I-I'm sorry, Zim." He said, holding him closer, slightly confused. The smeet wrapped his arms around the taller Irken, but couldn't feel comforted. His mind couldn't relinquish the image he'd seen. The screams that he heard.

" Look; the modulator in your PAK should be activated. It will deplete the amount of emotional influx that your mind is sustaining, and help you regain composure. What you just experienced should be rendered down in a few moments. Soon it will be nothing, and you'll look at it with mere indifference." He said, in a tone of a voice to casual in this circumstance. In his state of mental torment, Zim didn't understand what he was saying. All his senses were captured by that one moment, and it held on to his mind with a grip unforgiving. The smeet cried in the robes of the Tallest, and tightened his hold around him. He felt he was sinking. His mind felt it was faltering. He thought for a moment that he might be dying. He wasn't even able to disregard that as an illogical thought, as his ability to discern was compromised.

Time passed. Long enough for the smeet to tire himself to unconsciousness from his deafening shock, and long enough for the Almighty Tallest Sono to recognize the condition of this pupil. His crying never once ceased. His trembling never once calmed, and his mind never once regained it's stability. Under such circumstances, the PAK was supposed to recognize these events and the hazard of disorder within them, and immediately redirect those emotions from the mind and alter the stress being endured. It was to help alleviate the initial emotive responses being received, so optimal performance could be reached. And that required a clear, astute mind, with a functioning PAK...

Zim was a defective. That nature of how defective was still to be determined, however Tallest Sono already established the base work for further analysis. That was why the smeets were sent to that room, and to witness that event; For evaluation. The first objective was to observe the ability of their PAK to assuage any situation and the amount of stress being taken in. The second objective was to deplete, or otherwise remove any sort of moral conscious to defects and later on enemies, for easier combative protocols in the future; The defects weren't of any importance. They weren't to be regarded as people, and so to be mindful and concerned of their deaths was considered highly jeopardizing to the conduct of Irken militants and lifestyle.

Sono glanced down at the small Irken, unconscious in his arms with a tear dried face. He remembered just before he entered the room, he was smiling with a gratuitously wide grin, with a devoted trust and undying loyal nature. He entered with a high-spirited rationale, and he came out a disharmony of moral and mental discretion. His mind was rented, and wrung of all it's comprehension, and left to systematically devour itself. Zim cried because at the moment because that was all he knew how to. The magnitude of his distress was beyond any that he'd seen and that inferred something awful about his PAK's serviceable standards.

Sono was taught to remain a high, respectable symbol of honor and pride; to be leader and representative figure was all he was meant to be for. Motivational speeches and connection with his audiences. All power came from the Control brains, however he'd disregarded one law; He was to never get close to any individual. Not to his comrades, not to the military personnel, not to any individualized citizen, and not to any pupil. Any relationship was forbidden, and he was to be one and only one, as the appointed Almighty Tallest. But yet when he taught the young, he taught with guidance. When he commanded the military, he ordered them with a stern but caring disposition. When he spoke to his comrades, he acted as their family. And worst of all; he'd allowed himself to become a paternal figure to one individual smeet. He'd allowed himself to show platonic affections towards him, and he soon became his own.

Yet he lead him into that room, and ultimately brought him to his deathbed. It was obvious of what was to be done with him now, as he couldn't even pass his first evaluation test. Defectives of that kind were categorized at a late stage of mental deficiency, and there was nothing to be done about it but to discard them, and destroy their malfunctioning PAK devices. But he couldn't stand the thought. Not when he held him helpless in his arms. He reared against the wall and held him tighter. Sono felt his face contort, but he suffered himself not to sob. He didn't know what type of life Zim would lead now, as his aspirations of becoming a greater person was now infeasible. The thought of him being harvested for parts was inconceivable

But time passed on, with or without regards from the people. And if Sono wanted anything good to come out of this, if he wanted Zim's life to have any marginal amount of grace, he would have to take that matter into his own hands. His PAK failed to keep his mentality balanced between his emotions and logic...there might be other issues, but either way Sono was going to figure it out...He was determined to fix that.

Even if it would cost him his life.

• • •

Zim'd been gone for a month now. There were a few calls in the beginning before his disappearance that notified them that he was going through a state of depression because of the recent death of his great great grandmother Susy Von Marylou. The explanation itself wasn't that sensible, as the jittery and often digressing speech from his parents was hardly intelligible. Often times the mother asked if she could brush the principals teeth, while the father would talk a bit about the apparent disease he claimed to have called...diarrhea.

While the talk itself wasn't as informative as she wanted it to be, Principal Downing nevertheless scraped up any sensible sounding sections of their conversation and wrote down a report with a lot of speculation. Despite it, she sent out notification to his teachers about the event. Downing didn't know whether to believe this information, or whether to be concerned. However, soon she removed it from mind, and decided to instill a faith in Zim's fairly odd parents. (wink)

She also informed her close friend, Mrs. Everett, about the unfortunate comeuppance and it provided explanation why he was gone for a while. Everett took it considerably dubiously. However when they both sat down during their lunch to talk about it, she explained that she was beginning to feel for the two. Everett explained how much they hated each other, but also how much they've changed since the meetings. She remarked that if the timing of Susy's death, albeit skeptical, wasn't so inconvenient she would be confident they would already be at the stages of teamwork.

Downing questioned it. She countered that those two boys were the reason of the devastation and destruction of their city, and that their fights usually ended up in chaos. Everett laughed, and continued to say that particular trait made them similar.

" I don't know if you've noticed, Marley, but those two boys are all they have." She said. " I haven't heard anything from Zim's great great grandmother until now. I know it's none of my business to know about her, but...Susy Von Marylou?" Everett nearly laughed.

" And in regards to Dib; You know his father. So do I. His father is a scientist in Membrane Labs, and is a renowned one at that. You think a man like that has time for this children?" Everett asked, having a solemn smile. " And not to down on Gaz or anything, but...she can be a little evil towards her brother sometimes."

It made Downing furrow her brows in thought.

" Yes, but those two boys have a hatred towards one another so...ripe that being next to them just...offsets you." She remarked. " I hate to say it, Danielle, but it really gives me shivers. They tend to be so destructive, it's like they hardly care about anyone. Especially Zim..." She sighed, scratching her head. Everett's smiled grew but it's hidden sadness didn't dissipate. The principal looked down at the desk, and gave serious consideration to what her colleague was saying to her. The information was plausible, but to apply it in real life seemed...implausible. It matched up in theory and speculation, but when it came to reality, it seemed to contradict all knowledge.

" Maybe Dib's right." She said simply. " Maybe he's an alien." She shrugged. Downing looked up at her from the desk with slightly widened eyes. Everett chuckled a bit. " I don't mean that offensively."

" I know Dib is smart, but his conclusion about Zim is...insane. You believe him?" Downing asked, confused.

" When you've been with them for a while, Marley, you'll understand. I've come to notice things about them that nobody else sees. They're...broken, on the inside. It's so obvious but yet for the untrained eye, they just seem like maniacs. I know it sounds crazy, but it sounds true as well." Everett said.

" They're so hateful to each other, and it really resonates when they're in action, and so it's difficult to try and...assimilate yourself with them. It's hard to see past surface level, because all you feel for them is disfavor because of their inhumane dislike towards one another. But when it became my job, when it became my duty to do that; I found it was easier to open them, to see them for who they were than to slice butter." Everett remarked, crossing her arms. Downing listened attentively, to the older woman talk.

" They're isolated from everyone. Every kid I know hates them and frankly, I used to hate them too. When you gave me the preposition to start having these meetings I thought secretly you were trying to condemn me with those two." Everett laughed. Downing smiled at her statement to show her acknowledgment of the joke, but said nothing in return.

Everett remained silent for a little bit, and rubbed her bottom lip with her thumb, pensively.

" When Zim disappeared, I was angry. Livid, almost. I felt like he was wasting my time that I could be spending doing something I like, rather than have to deal with two arguing, sulking kids that didn't even like me. After a while, I forced myself to be happy over his disappearance, so that I could live without seeing either of their faces. But soon I felt bad, and I stopped myself from thinking that way." Everett said, smiling as if something amused her.

" I first realized that there must've been something behind their actions a little while after Zim left. I questioned their backgrounds. I did some inside research about their families and history and all of that. Nothing illegal, just the files we have on them at school. Of course, I couldn't find much, so I did a lot of thinking." Everett explained, taking a deep breath.

" I didn't question them, because I knew I wouldn't get any results. And because I sensed their unwillingness, and I noticed the absence of their parents' roles, I came to conclusions...Everyone hates those two, Marley. Granted that they hate each other as well, but they're the only two who's willing to talk to one another. Even if all they say are insults, and threats, and all they do is hurt each other...that's all they've known to rely on. I don't want to be rude to their parents, but don't you think that if they grew up with loving, positive role models in their lives, they would be malignant as they act?"

" They're just kids, Marley. Inside, they're just kids whose spirits had been shattered a long time ago. Kids who want one thing in the world. And that's true compassion. Someone to show affection for them. Someone to appreciate them. What kid doesn't want that?" She asked. Downing heard how austere her voice was, and how her eyes conveyed that with depth. But her smile stayed, with it's sadness still present.

" You care about them." Downing remarked. She took time to reflect on those words. In that moment, she truly admired her friend. She was able to look deep within Dib and Zim's character, and look past the rough exterior. And most of all, she gave them a chance that nobody else even considered to do. Not even Downing herself thought to ponder about their relationship for a mere moment, because of her dislike towards them. And Everett used to be like that as well; she used to complain about how much she hated how they always fought and bullied each other. But after a while, she turned over the wall and decided to read the posters and the words, instead ignore it like what the common populace always did.

Everett laughed.

" Am I an open book?" she asked, sarcastically, and sniffled. " I've only been with them for two weeks or so but I've allowed myself to open to them. Even though all I say is just mere observation...it's not anything definite." She said. She paused for a minute, before continuing.

" The more appropriate term to say is that I want to care about them. Or...I want them to know I do. But they wouldn't talk to me, not even if their lives depended on it." She remarked, chuckling. Downing waited a little bit before she would ask her question.

"...So what made you believe Dib?" she asked, curiously. Everett blinked, and thought for a few moments longer.

" Dib may seem crazy, but he's not stupid. During the conversations I had to give them, he'd give me subtle hints here and there and I would realize what it was he was secretly saying to me. And Zim would catch on too; I'd see his scowl every time Dib made an allusion to his life and his background. At first I thought it was complete nonsense. But Zim's reactions always told me otherwise. Why would someone get so angry when they lied about you, so shamefully obvious? Now I may just be passive aggressive, but I'm sure even the most hotheaded of people would just snort and chuckle at the outlook of Dib's intents. But they weren't lies; I'll tell you that much." Everett stroked her chin in thought.

" Dib also hinted here and there that Zim has two fathers...or father figures; something like that." Everett shrugged. Downing was nearly startled.

"...Really?" She asked, and her friend nodded.

They remained silent for a bit. Everett ate a little of her packed lunch.

" Zim may have a birth certificate and a social security number, but his parents don't. When have you ever heard of that?" Everett chuckled. Downing blinked.

" How do you know?" She wondered.

" Is was in his documentation, when he applied for this school. He filled out most of what he needed, but everything else that wasn't required was left blank. Now, I'm sure that isn't hard proof in any case whatsoever, but it's just something to consider." She said.

And she did when the bell rang and Everett excused herself. They said their byes, and went back to their business. All of the information was...thought provoking. It was plausible and in all honesty, Downing wanted it to be true. But her mind still quarreled over the credibility of the information, and it was fed to both side of her brain. She remained in the middle, where she determined that what she believed would have to come from firsthand experience. She wasn't one to categorize her friend's speech as automatic invalidity, as Downing always went to Everett for advice, however in this case it seemed to broad a subject, that stretched to vast a poster to place pinpoints of certainty. However, she leaned closer to the moral side of her, and the probability of accepting it as true was higher. She felt that she should owned the two that much.

One thing, though that would remain in her mind for days was the last thing Everett said to her before she left the office. The piece of grave advice that nearly made her heart wrench from hearing it; The words echoed within the boundaries of her mind, and it embedded itself deeply into the compounds of her conscious.

When was the last time you heard of Dib's mother?...When was the last time you heard of Zim's parents? We haven't...And again, none of our business, but it just comes to show...

Don't let kids intimidate you, Downing. Hurt kids don't know how to show what they want, because all they know is pain. And that pain is what scares people away. People don't like to be associated with that type of hurting. It's too powerful, and it ricochets. It's a sad world out there, Marley. When you fall, like a leaf off a tree...

You fall alone. And I'm afraid those two have been down a long, long time.

•••

Ms. Zoe suffered from small bouts of insomnia, here and there. She would stay up at night and the thoughts that convulsed in her head brought painful headaches, but she didn't take pills to persuade them to stop. Not all of the nights were like this, and some were gracious enough to allow her to sleep. But some nights, when her mind thought restlessly about things, she couldn't sleep.

Emotions were like horrible, horrible drugs. They contaminated your mind and made you impetuous and changed the entirety of your being, depending on how raging they were. They controlled your brain, and made you do things you didn't want to. They changed your disposition and most of the time controlled you enough to the point you considered death as a greeting. As a solution...

Ms. Zoe had been there, once. Lying in the hospital bed, just barely alive. She remembered her throbbing head, her aching lungs, her painful body. She was intent on doing it that night. But she took a few pills less, and it saved her life. She felt death had edged to her bed and tapped at her feet tauntingly...But after wards, she came to realize that she wanted to live. She came to realize that...death wasn't worth it.

She left her past behind, and continued being an art teacher. She moved to a new school, new town for a new beginning. She took all of the stress, and depression, and the things she did, and wore it like a badge. A symbol of survival. So she came here a few years later.

Soon she met Zim and Dib. She was, to be honest, scared of Zim at first. Zoe didn't know of their past, until she was informed by Ms. Pamela about their doings. It seemed hardly believable, but she didn't say that to her. After wards, she tried to keep a small distance from them, being afraid they would direct their hatred at her as well, and then unintentionally got mixed up in their feud anyways. Ms. Zoe tried a few times to console with Zim, but her attempts didn't get anywhere. She tried a few times with Dib, but he didn't seem interested. Gaz was, despite what everybody said about her being the hardest person to work with, was easier. She found drawing to be her outlet of her anger and emotions. Ms. Zoe learned that Gaz was just as stressed just like her brother was.

Often times she came to school with a scowl. Ms. Zoe helped her in her drawing efforts, and soon that scowl lowered down to just an impatient frown. Gaz didn't talk to her personally, but she cooperated openly. She allowed critiques, advice, and took them to heart. She was a little rough in the beginning, but Ms. Zoe believed that now she founded a new sort of trust with her, even if Gaz didn't care all that much about her.

But she didn't care if people didn't care about her. She wanted to show that she cared about them. After her entire life being weighed upon her own emotions, and wanting people to notice her, she finally ran through the notions that trying to strive for attention wasn't the best way to go about life. So she changed her ways and started living for others, rather than herself. And so she would do whatever it took so that they wouldn't make the same mistakes she did...

Ms. Zoe sighed, and looked out the sliding door that lead to her balcony. The night was young, and it was only 10:00 o'clock. However the moon spilled her somber lights throughout the darkness, providing a bit of guidance in the dark. The blue tinted light suffused through the glass of her apartment sliding door, and lied across the floor placidly. She got up and exited out her room onto the windy outside. The door slid open and she placed her hands on the railing.

She wished she could show the kids she cared. But they were so hard to get close to, when she only had them once a day and had to be teaching rather than conversing. But she felt that process also should be slow. That to rush things, would ruin the establishment she made with each of them. Albeit, she made more progress with some in comparison to the others, Zoe tried not to let it bother her so much.

And so to remove it from mind, she sat down on the wooden balcony, slipped her legs through the individualized railing, and stared at the starry night. She gazed at the diminutive stars that sparkled gently in the sky. She watched the moon's radiance glimmer off into space, and spread it's wonders about the universe. It helped ease her thoughts and she took a deep breath of the cold air, and allowed it to fill her lungs. She exhaled and it ventured out, moving along with the streaming cold winds.

She was saddened to hear that Zim's great great grandmother died. Although her name slipped her mind at the moment, despite if the initial feeling she received when she heard it's absurdity still lingered, it was still something to regard to when Zim came back...

Zoe acted ignorant about Zim's condition because it would help her get closer to him. She gave his skin color and his origins serious thoughts when she first saw him, and ever since she didn't know what to think. She'd seen worst skin cases in her life time, and so this one, with the right explanation and presentation, wouldn't be so hard to believe. But Dib was there, showing evidence otherwise. Stating he was extraterrestrial and otherworldly. That wasn't hard to believe either. But she didn't show her thoughts or mind on the subject. She kept them to herself, and silently lingered on the fine line between true and false until she knew otherwise.

She didn't know exactly why his skin was green. He didn't give much explanation about it, then again he wasn't obligated to do so, but it would help prove himself of credibility if he argued against Dib's statements with evidence of his skin's conditions appearance and it's traits. There wasn't even a name, or so Zim hasn't done so yet. But it bewildered her that no one at the school never gave it second thoughts. She didn't believe that they were stupid, but she thought that the kids and adults in that school particularly just didn't care either way. Zoe still hadn't the conclusions as to why they didn't care, but in all honesty, she didn't care about it that much for their lack of involvement in the matter.

Ms. Zoe closed her eyes, and realized that she was finally becoming tired when she felt her heavy eyelids felt a strong sense of relief and satisfaction when she allowed them to rest. Before she would enter back inside she thought a little longer about Dib, Zim and Gaz, and their struggles. Then, she retreated to her bed and finally slept for the night.

Rnote: So...this chapter was a bit heavy. I'm wondering now, because of the beginning, If I should change the rating on this to M or keep it T. A little gore isn't really all that daunting, but still I don't want to take any chances. Let me know what you think, mmkay?