"Did that monkey just speak English?" Dib asked.
"What the hell is english?" Kor said.
"Excuse me," said the small creature, "But if you're referring to the language in which we're speaking in, then yes. We Heboadians are a highly adaptive species. We were able to pick up the structure of your speech after listening to your group and you talk a lot."
"But to completely understand an entire language in minutes, how is that even possible?" Dib said.
"Well, we also hacked into your robot's language files,"
"Oh, well that makes sense."
"Aw, I thought a ladybug made a nest in my head. I wanted to feed the babies," Gir said disappointingly.
"There was a lot of bad wiring we had to avoid," said the creature, "My name is Pel, Gateway. Official Tablet Translator and Advisor to the next King, which would be you according to the glyphs."
"That's fine and all," Dib said, "But what about my sister and Zim, I need them back!"
"But they committed acts of treason against you."
"Well, yeah, sure, but still-"
"Still what? Are they your loving and loyal companions?"
"Well not in that way-"
"Have they showered you with kindness?"
"No! But-"
"Have they ever hugged you?"
"What does th-"
"Have you formed bonds of camaraderie?"
"Actually-"
"So they suck?"
"Yes, wait, no! Definitely Zim, though."
"I see. It is unfortunate but your companions have been sent to the condemned, where all the slop of Heboad goes."
"Well, bring them back."
"That will take a while, Gateway, if you couldn't tell, the hole to the condemned was quite deep, but I'll send a group to pick them up, I've seen others survive the fall, if they're lucky."
"Those last three words rang through Dib's ears. He felt a weight in his stomach, it was a mass uneasiness that was like a tapeworm was throwing a rave in there. He couldn't handle the idea of Gaz, his little sister that he's been watching over for years could be dead. Despite all the beatings and threats he would still remember all the nice things she did for him, like that one time...Dib had a hard time thinking of moments. They were fleeting, like the hair..."
"Spleenk!" Nar yelled, "What are you doing?"
"I thought the scene could have used some inner monologue," Spleenk answered.
"...just press play."
The monitor was full of static before it returned to Gir vision. Kor and Skoodge were walking along a spiraling path, observing the many inhabitants of Heboad. There were even smaller creatures prancing around doing what looked like a ritualistic dance, some preparing food using their mechanical body parts as tools, a repair shop where some were getting fixed up, and the Church of Blood Sacrifices and Demon God Summoning. Kor stopped and stared at it, taking an interest at the blood stained outer wall of the church.
"Kor, focus!" Skoodge yelled, still unhinged at the possibility that Zim might be dead. Zim was the one who gave new meaning to his life and saved him from exile, but now he grew more unstable without a master to serve.
"Should you really be one to give orders?" Kor said. Skoodge lost his composure.
"W-well-uh...um-no,"
"Look, even though the chances of Zim and Gaz surviving are very slim, rest assured that my Fefian anatomy would've allowed me to survive the fall."
"..."
"That sounded more comforting in my head for some reason."
"I have to find him, there must be an exit somewhere!" Skoodge panicked, he looked around the area but suddenly fell to his knees, "AHHH! My brain! Can't analyze escape routes! Hamster...leaving...wheel...for...hummer!"
"...okay, maybe we do need to prioritize finding Zim. First, we have to find Dib."
"I saw the hippo and the monkey playing poker in the hopscotch," Gir said.
"Dib is with Pel in the library! Let's go, HOO-HAH!" Skoodge said.
"How did you interpret that?" Kor asked. Skoodge didn't answer, instead he just started running followed by Gir. Kor's steps could be heard behind him. They ran spirals before they reached a level with a structure that looked like it was formed from many pyramids. A large sign in front of it said "Library: Where 167629 slaves died in the process of building!"
The main door was locked for some reason, so the group went to the side to hopefully find another entrance. On the way, they found a window where, at a distance, Dib and Pel were talking to each other. The group tried to listen, but no sound can be heard.
"I wonder what they're talking about," Kor said.
"Sir unit, provide us with a way of listening," Skoodge said.
"Okay!" Gir shouted enthusiastically. He then broke a part of the window with his fist.
"What was that?" Pel asked from inside. Kor and Skoodge ducked while they held down Gir.
"It sounded like something breaking," Dib said.
"It better not be those kids again. That sign better not be broken, 167629 slaves was an achievement!"
"...what?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing, uh-continue with your grand stories from your years of life."
"Okay, well there was this one time where I found white hair, larger than normal shoes, and a bunch of dead Himalayan yaks near Rob's house, he's my classmate with these orange pigtail things. So naturally I came to the conclusion that his dad was a yeti. I showed him all this but he just called me crazy! Then he told everyone else in the class and they called me crazy! Again!"
"...interesting, so you aren't crazy?"
"No! That's just what they want to think. They were all too blind to see the truth before their eyes! It makes me really wish I didn't save them from the moose."
"Moose?"
"They're these four legged herbivores with large horns, but don't let that fool you! The moose I saw was a nightmarish hell spawn of a beast, it just kept chewing and chewing, oh the chewing!"
"And you saved these peers you dislike so much from it."
"Well, I didn't want Zim to win also."
"Zim? Isn't he that Irken that fell down, isn't he your companion?"
"For now, but only because I can advance my knowledge of extraterrestrials through him. I still hate him for all the terror he's caused to the Earth and its inhabitants!"
"And your people didn't notice this?"
"No, I always stopped him from getting too far, but I've always failed at revealing his true self to the public. They kept believing he was just some foreign kid, they even called me racist once! I felt really dirty that day."
"But you still hold contempt for Zim and those people right."
"Maybe not as much anymore, but I'm sure deep down there's something. I try to suppress it though." Dib relaxed and took a deep breath, "Thanks for letting me vent out, Pel."
"Hmm, hidden contempt..." she said silently.
"By the way, you still haven't told me why you call me Gate-" Pel jumped on Dib's face and stared him eye to eye. "What are you doing?"
Pel's eyes started glowing a deep red and soon, Dib's eyes turned red also. "I summon the emotions from the hidden depths of your mind. Release it all and become one with the feeling. It is you as you are it!" Pel let go and backed away.
"Now, Gateway, what is your desire?"
"To protect the good of the universe," Dib answered with a platonic tone.
"That seems about right. Hmm, how?"
"BY DESTROYING ALL THOSE WHO COMMIT INJUSTICE!"
"So..beings that are crooks, condemned, criminals, condemned, arsonist, and condemned?"
"ESPECIALLY THE CONDEMNED!"
"Good! And with your head, we'll open a portal to summon the Great Boad! Bringer of destruction and destroyer of the condemned! I'll finally be rid of them! Hahahahaha!"
"Hahahaha!" laughed a strange voice.
"What was that?" Pel looked around to find Gir, who had ran up to them to get a better look for the camera. Pel and Dib were completely oblivious to him until now.
"How the-?" Pel turned around to see the broken window and Kor and Skoodge standing next to it.
"Uh oh," Kor said.
"Now Gateway, what should we do with these, what's that term your people have? Peeping Toms?"
"Peeping Toms!" Dib shouted. "Destroy them!"
Kor and Skoodge quickly started running. Pel picked up Gir and called for the rest of the natives to chase them. While holding Gir, Pel could see Kor and Skoodge jump off the edge of the platforms, Kor used her body to cushion the fall. Pel and the others used their natural acrobatic skills to get down. They followed them down a corridor, knowing they were running to the room with the trapdoor. They were out of sight thanks to the lead they got from jumping off, but their voices echoed in the corridor.
"What are you doing?" said Skoodge.
"Getting us out," Kor said. A switch could be heard, the swoosh of the trapdoor followed after.
"Gah! I could've fallen!"
"You're suppose to, it's the only way out that we know of and I can cushion your fall." Their figures were visible. Pel lifted up Gir and threw him using her cybernetic arm.
"Woooooooooooooooo-hoooo-hoooo-hoooo!" Gir screamed in joy.
Kor's and Skoodge's images grew rapidly. The robot hit Kor directly, pushing her back but bouncing off of her as well. He collided with Skoodge and they both fell into the hole. Then the light faded.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Skoodge screamed as he fell down the hole. Gir followed behind, sliding down with his hands in the air pretending it was a water-slide. The light at the end of the hole started to appear, Skoodge braced for impact. He could feel the wind rushing past his face. The light grew bigger and bigger. Skoodge prepared himself, knowing how futile it was. He could hear that sickening noise in his head. Once his high velocity body hits the ground, it'll make a blood-curdling, bone crunching, disgusting...
*pfff*
"What, pff?" Skoodge said. Gir landed next to him, also making a pff noise. His mind started clearing itself from the adrenaline of falling. He could feel softness around him. He saw that he had landed in a container filled with what looked like soft cushions. This made Skoodge even more confused. However, he started looking around him, and what he saw made him even more confused. It was a city, all the buildings were metallic and had glowing lights all over. He looked up to see that structure that he fell from, it was like a cocoon, completely shelled and casting an eternal shadow over the city.
"These building look like me, *gasp* maybe they are me!" Gir said. Skoodge climb out of the box and saw the city filled with the same monkey creatures from before. Scared at the thought of ritualistic death, Skoodge grabbed Gir and ran, eventually reaching a forest. He tripped over a rock but was greeted by the sight of two familiar beings.
"Gaz and Zim!" Skoodge shouted. They were in the middle of a small clearing, but the way they were together was...weird. They were alone in the clearing, and in physical contact, alone, in the clearing, physical contact, alone.
"Skoodge! Gir!" Zim shouted.
"What?" Gaz screamed in shock. She quickly let go of Zim.
"You escaped! How's Gir's eye cameras?"
"Camera?" Gaz freaked. She quickly ran and jump Gir and started shaking him violently. "DELETE...THAT...FROM...THE...MEMORY!"
Zim rushed over and tried to get her to stop. "Stop that now, Gaz! Gir's eye cameras are necessary in recording my glorious triumphs!"
"Shut up, Zim! Like I give a damn!" Gaz then lifted her fist and attempted to strike Gir, but his metal casing only made her hurt her hand. She saw that trying to delete the scene that was just recorded as futile for now. "Okay, look, what you just saw was nothing! I-I just happened to trip and Zim caught me for a sec."
"An Earth second? You were holding on much lo-" Gaz pivoted around and knocked Zim in the face before he could continue.
"NOTHING HAPPENED!"
"Sir!" Skoodge screamed. Zim was able to recover before Skoodge was able to help him up.
"How dare you strike Zim!" Zim shouted.
"I've done it a thousand times before, and I'll keep doing it if you don't remove the last ten minutes from your memory!" Gaz demanded.
"*Gasp* You touched master for ten minutes? Lucky!" Gir said.
Gaz couldn't control herself anymore, she went crazy and jumped Gir.
"I'M GOING TO RIP THAT MEMORY FILE FROM YOUR F-shkzz-
"Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha-" Tak was laughing uncontrollably. Gaz's mental breakdown and the thought of her mauling everyone around her filled Tak with an endless reservoir of pleasure, that can only increase as bloodshed increases.
"Boss, what's love?" Shloonktapooxis asked.
"What?" Nar answered, "Why are you asking that?"
"Well, if you rewind to here, where those two are touching, it made me think of that word."
"Aw, Shloonk, you have a long way to go if you think you could identify love just from one action."
"Okay, then tell me about it."
"About what?"
"Love."
"Okay, well love is-" Nar stopped talking as he honestly had no idea what to say. Meanwhile, Tak had manage to get to the floor and continued to laugh. "Come to think of it, I've never had a mate." Nar turned towards the rest of the Resisty crew, "Crew! Has anyone here ever had a mate of some sort?"
No one raised their hand and it was dead silent. Some Resisty looked down, upset at their non-existent love-life.
"Well, this has become quite sad," Nar said.
"I've had one boss," Spleenk said meekly.
"Really, Spleenk? That's unexpected, then tell Shloonk all you know."
"Yes, Sir," Spleenk walked up to Shloonk and got in his face. For some reason the lights dimmed and his face was covered in shadow. A dark light lit up behind him, giving off a sickly glow. Spleenk grabbed onto Shloonk and stared at him with dead eyes. He spoke plainly, "It was the worse decision of my life."
Nar quickly pushed Spleenk back and everything turned to normal. "And now I don't think Shloonk should know anything."
Nar grabbed the controller to the monitor and pressed play, Tak was still laughing.
"What the Boad is going on here?"
-shkzz-
Gaz had managed to tear one of Gir's eye cameras out. It laid on the ground revealing Gaz who was frozen in mid-mauling. She had Skoodge under her foot, Gir in her left hand, and Zim pinned with her right. Zim used this chance to struggle out and grab Gir. He quickly placed the fallen eye back into Gir. Gir turned his head to reveal the voice of the creature that had caught everyone's attention. He was the same as the other creatures, small, monkey-like with cybernetics patched around him. His arm was robotic, like the others but the difference was that half his face was also robotic and he was dressed in a very nice suit.
"I released you from the Hold so that you could get your ship, not maim each other." He said.
"Sir, watch out!" Skoodge screamed, he then tried to shield Zim, "He's going to burn you like the others!"
"How dare you compare me to those primitive Heboadians living up there."
"It's okay, Skoodge, this being here has been helping us since Gaz and I fell down. He is this colony's leader and has proven very valuable in aiding my needs," Zim said.
"My name is Tel, uh-Skoodge was it? Weird name. Anyway, my beings found your ship a while ago. It wasn't too badly damage and regained voice capabilities. Unfortunately, they popularized your ship's 'haiku' as he called it and ever since, suicide attempts have risen. Though none have succeeded, thankfully." Off in the distance, a figure can be seen jumping off one of the buildings with a loud scream. "Until maybe now."
"Before that, the violent human over there and I were celled up in their prison, called the Hold, for a couple of hours. Once we identified the ship as ours and proved that we could do no harm, Tel let us go," Zim said.
"In exchange, I wanted the ship off the planet and any current news from the structure above us. So far, your friend here was absolutely useless in telling me anything, so now, I just really want him to leave."
"It takes more than just a few bribes to break Irken silence, little monkey. Now, where is Dib-stink and the mechanic?"
"Oo, oo!" Gir shouted, raising his hand in the air, "I know! I sees it all!"
"Very good, Gir, project what you've recorded so far, then."
"Yes, my master!" Gir turned red for a bit, but quickly went back to blue and did nothing.
"Well?"
"I think I destroyed the monitor-projector-thingy."
"What? When did this happen?"
"I dunno but I bet I was having a looooot of fun."
"Ugh, you'll need more repairs once we get back."
"Sir, I can report." Skoodge said.
"Thank you, Skoodge."
"We met their leader, Pel-"
"You met Pel?" Tel interrupted.
"Yes, is there any connection to you?"
"Yes, Pel is my sister, my crazed, psychopathic, murderous sister."
"This sounds very familiar," Zim said.
"Shut up, Zim," Gaz responded.
"If Pel still has your friends they'll be in trouble, I'll give you more details as we get to your ship."
The group started walking through the forest and then into the city. Gir looked around, excited by the bright lights and little creatures, but there weren't many Heboadians. There were cables strung between buildings, they were used by the creatures for fast travel, though one attempted to jump off. Fortunately, another Heboadian grabbed him and prevented the fall. The signs were also hieroglyphs, or at least very similar to the ones above. Some were more modern apparently, as they recently had a sign with one hieroglyphic that was an obvious symbol for no suicide.
"If you haven't notice already, and you'd have to had your brain scrambled to not, our society is completely different from my sister's. You see a long, long time ago, we all lived in the structure up there, but it was really boring. To pass the time, I told my little sister stories. They would be about a being call the Great Boad, a great and powerful being summoned at the desire of a being called Gateway. He was always the hero, punishing villains, called the condemned.
She got TOO into the stories, eventually believing they were real. She became highly authoritarian, punishing anybody who did anything wrong, just like the Boad. She sent them into exile, by tossing them out of the structure.
The real mess came when she started preaching about the Great Boad. Started a cult, spent the time beating up 'condemned'. Sure, it was fine to the others at first, the less bad guys the better, but then she ran out of the usual condemned. She turned to petty criminals and eventually Heboadians were classed as condemned for so much as eating with their mouth open. Soon, people joined out of fear of being labeled.
She gained more power, eventually giving herself useless titles and making false claims, like being able to read those strange, ancient symbols. They haven't been used in centuries. She says she's the only one who can interpret them and act upon what they say, denouncing all other translations as wrong and misconceptions made by the condemned. She of course started making up new symbols and called them 'discoveries of the secret writings of the Great Boad.' This led to ritualistic activities, believing they would power the Great Boad, the first victim? Our leader.
I tried to stop her, tried to make her see the truth, but she was so caught up in her web of lies and delusions. She cited me for treason, and I was exiled too. However, after surviving the fall, despite half my face being crushed, I saw that the other condemned were also thriving.
I united them and made a society that was constantly evolving using the natural resources and salvaging whatever crashes by. My species is highly adaptable. We easily grew stronger, learned the basic languages of the universe, which fortunately for you included Irken, and made the basic needs for us to survive.
Staying under the structure only worked to our advantage. The forest surrounds us and the shadow also makes us obscure, so when the others from above leave from the edges of the structure to gather resources, they don't notice us. Also, we're able to save any 'condemned' and judge if they should live peacefully or we really send them into exile."
"...Why are you giving your life story?" Gaz asked.
"That exposition was so long!" Zim shouted. "At least the squishy being's was told like a flashback, yours is one endless narration!"
"Each detail is a necessary part of my beings' culture."
"When did ZIM ask you about your culture!"
"When yo-, uh, whe-, I guess you're right. I'm continuing anyway."
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Meanwhile, while I was advancing my colony using the resources, my sister, according to the recently condemned, is preventing any future advancements due to her focus on bringing the Great Boad back to life. Thankfully, I made up the biggest, most unbelievable lie for that. I said the Boad can only be summoned by a portal, inside the head of the Gateway, but the head is so large that it's impossible for anyone in the universe to have it."
"Sounds like Dib," Gaz said. Tel stopped in his tracks and turned in alarm.
"Who?"
"My crazed sibling, he was with us when we got captured by Pel."
"Is his head really that big?"
"Immense!" Zim said. Tel started worrying, but then cooled down and became calm.
"Alright, everything should be fine, it's not like she knows we're here."
"...about that," Skoodge said.
"She had sent her people down here before?" Tel was in shock.
"Based on how she said she was able to pick Zim up, I interpreted that she knew what lied beyond the hole. Also, the way she was talking to Dib about the condemned made it feel like she knew where you were," Skoodge said.
"What?"
"Pel also did this weird glowing thing with her eyes and made Dib evil and commanding."
"This-This is not good!"
"Why metal monkey?" Gir asked.
"There are two conditions to the 'ritual' that I made. First, the Gateway needs to call on the Boad out of his own desire. We Heboadians can draw out hidden emotions from others. Pel used this several times to manipulate others. Does your friend have any hidden, dark desires? Say, vengeance, killing, along those lines."
"He wants to hurt Zim," Gaz said.
"Ah, yes, those memories of the past. I still find joy in seeing the Dib-worm suffer," Zim said happily.
"I can see why," Tel said.
"What's the second condition," Skoodge said.
"The Great Boad is then summoned when it senses the blood of the condemned. That's what I told Pel, but knowing her, she plans to literally use the blood of the condemned to summon the Boad. Sure it'll fail in the end, but the fact that she knows we're here and the ritual requires a lot of blood, she'll come to use our blood in the ritual!"
"So what," Gaz said, "Just fight them off, you said you were more advance than them."
"We never looked into military technology, we never thought we'd need it. We're well hidden, or at least I thought we were, and no one here has fought, anyone we deemed violent was exiled!"
"Silence!" Zim said, "Your ramblings have gone far enough monkey! I don't care what trifles your people have, just lead me to my ship so I can continue my quest!"
"YOU'RE one of the condemned too, you know."
"Ha! If I get to my ship, I'll be off this planet's atmosphere before that happens."
"What about your companions?"
"I'll find new slaves to shield me."
"Hey!" Gaz shouted.
"What now Gaz?"
"We can't leave Dib. I may hate him for being stupid but if he dies, my dad would make a big deal out of it, I'd get pitied by everyone, I'd have to go to Dib's funeral, and funerals are boring!"
"Well I hate the Dib-worm. I have no problems with his death and neither does he about mine if our past encounters meant something. I only wanted his help for the ship, after that, he was just to be my meat shield from danger, but shields can be replaced."
"Hey! Remember back on Earth when you broke my GameSlave? You said you would be my slave for eternity."
"I gave you a new one."
"I never said that your enslavement had ended."
"Do you really think those puny words will alter my mind?"
"Either way, I'm going to rescue my idiot brother AND throw Pel down a spiked hole."
Why am I troubled by this? Zim wondered, he came to a realization. He'd lose half his crew if this keeps up, and losing half his crew meant losing half his protection, which is like losing half his armor, he'd be half naked.
"Sir," Skoodge interjected. He spoke quietly to Zim. "These Heboadians are highly adaptable beings, if you teach them how to fight, then you'd be teaching a potential army. You could bargain for their loyalty."
This new revelation gave rise to a big grin by Zim. Plans formulated in his head, thoughts of doom and destruction came.
"Tel, I'll help you with your situation," Zim said. Tel was still in the motions of breaking down.
"W-What c-can you d-d-do?" He said nervously.
"You forget, monkey thing, I come from a race of galactic conquerors. Warfare is part of my basic training. I can teach your beings how to cause doom, that is if your species is as adaptable as you say it is."
"We are the quickest learners and fastest to adapt, if you can get my Heboadians to survive, then I'll pay any cost for your teachings."
"Excellent."
They eventually reached where they were holding the Dibship. It was held down by chains and there was a crowd of Heboadians surrounding it, all with notepads and pencils.
"Please sir, another," one of them said.
"My life is tragic,
Filled with freaks and idiots,
Why don't they screw off" The Dibship recited. The observers took turns commenting.
"Amazing, it's such a great social commentary of our government."
"It shows how society had spiraled downward with each generation."
"It's so sad, it's like my life."
"Please, someone kill me,
Twisting my words for meaning,
You're all idiots!" He recited again.
"Amazing, the social commentary of the lack of direction our political structure has taken is so accurate."
"It shows how we need to strengthen the youth in order to survive."
"It's so sad, it makes me want to hurt myself."
"Ugh," The Dibship said in disgust. Everyone immediately stood up and clapped.
"Stupendous!"
"Wondrous!"
"It SO speaks to me!"
Zim and the others just stared at the overly analytical Heboadians, amazed at their stupidity and the fact that they got the Dibship worn out from making haiku's.
"See what it's done?" Tel said. "This is two-thirds of my population!"
"There's only twenty of them," Gaz said.
"Someone keeps moving the box of cushions at the end of the tunnel. It's always really messy."
Zim moved through the crowd and started climbing the Dibship to get everyone's attention.
"I'd never thought I'd be thankful to see your bug face again," the Dibship said, "Please, get me out of here, they won't even give me anything to cut my wires."
Zim mostly ignored the Dibship. He stood atop the Dibship and looked down below at his future army.
"Heboadians!" Zim shouted, "Pel knows where you are and plans to make you SUFFER A HORRIBLE DOOM! Just ask him," Zim pointed to Tel.
"It's true," Tel said. The Heboadians just pondered deeply while speaking calmly.
"Yes, yes, that does seem like a predicament."
"Hmm, we don't know how to fight do we?"
"If we kill ourselves now, then Pel won't be able to kill us."
"STOP YOUR SENSELESS PONDERING!" Zim said, "I come from an elite Irken group, entrusted with the conquest of the universe. I have enough knowledge and insight to train you and stop Pel from killing you all. All I ask for, IS FOR YOU TO SERVE ME AS MY ARMADA! WE WILL SEND THE UNIVERSE INTO NEVERENDING DOOM! HAHAHAHA!"
"Servitude? You want us to serve you?" Tel said.
"It's either that or having your sister cut up your organs to summon a false god!"
Despite Tel's objections, the other Heboadians were seriously considering it.
"Hmm, learning to fight sounds useful."
"I've always wanted to see life outside this planet."
"Choosing to live, hmm, that's new."
"Come with me my new armada! And I'll...I'll let you enjoy new Dibship emotional spillings each day!" Zim proclaimed.
The other Heboadians became excited, the thoughts of more haiku made them happy.
"Call all your people, Tel, have them gather here and release the Dibship. Have ten of them working on building weaponry," Zim said.
"Anything else, master?" Tel said disdainfully.
Gir focused in on Zim's face. He was silent, but wore a malicious smile.
-shkzz-